scmc 1995 journal [txt]
TRANSCRIPT
1
Published by the Shropshire Caving & Mining Club
Details of publications and videos available from :-
Mike Moore, 35 Masons Place, Newport, Shropshire TF10 7JS
T. 01952-405105
Note that the content of the articles in this Journal is the opinion of the respective authors and
not necessarily that of Shropshire Caving & Mining Club.
Copyright Shropshire Caving & Mining Club 1997
2
CONTENTS
Recent Finds in the Llanymynech Ogof
Pete Owen ........................................................................................................................ 3
Colliery Closures in the British Coalfield, in particular the Staffordshire Coalfield
David Coxill ............................................................................................................................ 5
Excavation of the Mine Managers Office at Snailbeach Mine
Steve Southwick & Sue Brueton ........................................................................................... 7
Mining History, Ireland and the World Wide Web: a Survey of Current Resources
Greg Fewer .............................................................................................................................. 8
Coal Nationalisation 50 Years on - the East Shropshire Coalfield
David Coxill ..................................................................................................................... 16
Memories of Madeley
Harry Micklewright ......................................................................................................... 22
Review of the Geological Memoir of Telford & the Coalbrookdale Coalfield
David Coxill ........................................................................................................................... 23
Henfwlch Mine Explored
Roy Fellows ............................................................................................................................ 29
General Rules & Special Rules at Shropshire Mines
Ivor Brown ....................................................................................................................... 33
Descent of Watson’s Shaft, Tankerville Mine
Alan Robinson ........................................................................................................................ 39
The Examination for Shropshire’s Potential Colliery Managers in 1901
Ivor Brown ....................................................................................................................... 41
Mining in Hunthouse Wood, Mamble, Worcestershire
David Poyner, Andrew Santer & Robert Evans ............................................................... 44
More Mining Remains in Ireland
Nick Southwick & Mike Moore ............................................................................................. 53
Membership List 1997 .............................................................................................................. 56
3
Recent finds in the Llanymyech Ogof
Pete Owen
During the four months up to the end of Sepember 1997, members of the Shrewsbury
Underground Exploration Group have made several finds in the Ogof's Mandible Chamber
that could bring us a step nearer to finally dating the mine.
Along with many others, l have for a long time suspected that the Ogof predates the Roman
occupation period. Until June of this year stone tools, the initial pointer to a possible Bronze
Age working, have never been discovered in the mine or, if they have, it has never become
common knowledge. It should be stated at this point that the Ogof is a scheduled site under
the control of CADW. Although it is an offence to dig in the mine, there is plenty of
evidence to suggest that digging has been going on quite recently. Not only is archaeological
evidence being destroyed but any finds made are disappearing into private collections without
being recorded. Having said this, without illicit digs the first group of stone tools would not
have been found.
On a visit to the Mandible Chamber in June along with Gareth Owen, Patrick Owen and
Russell Hill, we recovered four stone tools near to the floor groove in the old entrance adit.
They were subsequently removed for safe keeping and were carefully cleaned, weighed and
recorded. I have, for my own records, given each stone a reference number. It is these
numbers that will be used here.
HS.l/1 : 0.8 kg. A small maul which has been modified to accommodate a better grip during
use. Being micaceous sandstone, modification by rubbing on a hard surface would have been
an easy task. One end shows classic bruising and has cracked through use. A flake has been
chipped off the opposing end.
HS.2/1 : 0.2 kg . The smallest of this first group of stones. It is a round pebble with bruising
to each end. Is this stone a possible indication that children worked in the Ogof'?
HS.3/1 : 1.2 kg. A flat stone heavily chipped on both edges. The one end shows signs of
heavy usage as flakes of the stone have been knocked off.
HS.4/1 : 6.1 kg. The largest and most versatile stone yet found. This stone is peardrop
shaped and very similar to one on display at the Great Orme Mine in Llandudno. It has been
used for grinding, as is evident on the underside. Bruising to the sides indicate its use as a
hammer and it has been suggested that it may, due to its shape and marks it exhibits, have
been used as a lap held anvil.
All the stones in group one were handed over to the Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust
shortly after discovery.
In July three more stones were recovered from the Mandible Chamber. This second group are
far smaller in size to the first group and, with one exception , rather difficult to suggest what
they may have been used for.
HS.5/2 : 0.25 kg. A flat axe shaped stone which may have been used as a whetstone.
4
HS.6/2 : 0.25 kg. An interesting stone as it has been suggested that it shows signs that it
could well have started out its working life as part of a Neolithic hand axe. Once broken in
the Ogof, this flake appears to have been used as a scraper.
HS.7/2 : 0.27 kg. A small hand sized micaceous sandstone pebble ground flat on one end. It
may have been used for grinding however being so small this would seem unlikely.
In early September the Mandible Chamber yielded three further stones. They are
unfortunately rather similar to group two in that,apart from HS. 8 / 3, it would be difficult to
suggest their use.
HS.8/3 : 0.5 kg. A flat stone that fits into the hand so well it would most certainly have been
used as a maul. Straight groves on one face are possible evidence that this stone was also
used for sharpening some type of pointed implement.
HS.9/3 : 0.21 kg. Although smaller than HS.7/2 it is somewhat similar in shape. It would be
hard to attribute specific use for this stone.
HS.10/3 : 3.25 kg. The second largest of the stones recovered from Mandible chamber.
Although a large piece has been broken off there are no markings on this stone to give any
clue to its use.
The discovery of these stones does not prove that the Ogof is a Bronze Age mine but it is the
closest connection with this period found there. It may be of some significance that, although
we have looked throughout the mine, the only place where these stones have been found is in
Mandible Chamber. Of the ten stones we have recovered, six show clear evidence of having
been utilised by man. Any use that could have been made of the remaining four is not clear.
I must stress that all of the stones we have found were not buried, they were just lying in the
surface rubble.
5
Colliery Closures in the British Coalfield, in particular the Staffordshire Coalfield
David Coxill
It is no secret that the decline of the coal industry has taken place throughout the country and
not just in Shropshire. The number of pit closures per year of nationalised mines is shown in
Figure 1. In 1997, there were just under 30 deep mines, excluding small drift mines.
Essentially, the problem has been of over-supply which has led to massive pit closures under
both Labour and Conservative governments.
Figure 1 - Number of Colliery Closures under Nationalisation 1947-1994
Year Closures Government Year Closures Government
1947 22 Labour 1970 11 Conservative
1948 34 Labour 1971 4 Conservative
1949 32 Labour 1972 8 Conservative
88 1973 20 Conservative
1974 12 Labour
1950 23 Labour 1975 9 Labour
1951 16 Conservative 1976 3 Labour
1952 23 Conservative 1977 8 Labour
1953 20 Conservative 1978 8 Labour
1954 25 Conservative 1979 5 Conservative
1955 27 Conservative 88 8%
1956 17 Conservative
1957 22 Conservative 1980 7 Conservative
1958 32 Conservative 1981 11 Conservative
1959 61 Conservative 1982 8 Conservative
266 24% 1983 18 Conservative
1984 7 Conservative
1960 47 Conservative 1985 28 Conservative
1961 33 Conservative 1986 29 Conservative
1962 57 Conservative 1987 11 Conservative
1963 37 Conservative 1988 12 Conservative
1964 37 Labour 1989 18 Conservative
1965 46 Labour 149 13%
1966 62 Labour
1967 39 Labour 1990 9 Conservative
1968 77 Labour 1991 15 Conservative
1969 27 Labour 1992 11 Conservative
462 42% 1993 16 Conservative
1994 7 Conservative
58 5%
TOTAL =
1,111
Staffordshire has several coalfields, notably the Potteries, Cheadle, South Staffordshire and
the part of the Warwickshire Coalfield that extends into Tamworth. This has substantially
greater reserves and historic output than Shropshire but Silverdale Colliery is the only
remaining major deep mine. The closure of the major mines since 1947 is shown in Figure 2.
6
No major political party can therefore claim to have favoured the coal industry more than the
other.
Figure 2 - Closure of Nationalised Collieries in Staffordshire
Mine Date Closed (merged)
Alvecote (merged with North Warwick) May 1951
Apedale Nov 1969
Baggeridge Mar 1968
Berry Hill Apr 1960
Brereton Jul 1960
Cannock Chase No.3 1959
Cannock Chase No.8 Jan 1962
Cannock Chase No.9 (merged with Cannock Chase) 1951
Cannock & Leacroft (merged with Mid Cannock) Sep 1954
Cannock Wood Jun 1973
Chatterley Whitfield (merged with Wolstanton) Mar 1977
Conduit Aug 1949
Coppice (Cannock Chase) Apr 1964
Deep Pit (merged with Wolstanton) Feb 1962
East Cannock May 1957
Fenton Oct 1964
Florence Mar 1990
Foxfield Oct 1965
Glasshouse Dec 1960
Grove (merged with Wyrley No.3) Jan 1952
Hamstead Mat 1965
Hawkins Apr 1960
Hem Heath May 1996
Hilton Main Jan 1969
Holditch Aug 1989
Hollybank Dec 1952
Kemball Nov 1963
Lea Hall Dec 1990
Littleton Dec 1993
Mid Cannock Dec 1967
Mossfield May 1963
Nabb Mar 1954
Nook & Wyrley Jun 1949
Norton Jun 1977
Parkhall Dec 1962
Parkhouse May 1968
Sandwell Park Sep 1960
Sneyd (merged with Wolstanton) Jul 1962
Stafford Jan 1969
Standhills Apr 1947
Victoria Jul 1982
Walsall Wood Oct 1964
West Cannock No.1 (merged with Littleton) Sep 1958
West Cannock No.2 (merged with West Cannock No.5) Jan 1956
West Cannock No.3 Dec 1949
West Cannock No.5 Dec 1982
Wimblebury (merged with West Cannock No.5) Dec 1962
Wolstanton Oct 1985
Wyrley No.3 (merged with Mid Cannock) Jun 1963
Yew Tree Drift Apr 1950
7
Excavation of the Mine Managers Office at Snailbeach Mine
Steve Southwick & Sue Brueton
The Dig
During the weekend of April 4th 1997, work commenced to excavate the remains of the Mine
Manager’s office at Snailbeach Mine. The general view was that we would find little of
interest remaining. Undeterred by such gloomy predictions a valiant team of volunteers
turned up to help, led by Steve Southwick and Sue Brueton. Work started promptly at 10.30
am. with Nick and Rob Southwick, John Davies, Mike Worsfold and Eileen Bowen.
Sticking out of the rubble to a height of two feet was what appeared to be a plank of wood,
with part of its length having been cut off for firewood. This proved to be our first surprise.
It turned out to be a settle seat, still in its original position. From under this seat we recovered
a few rusty hand tools. As the dig continued, the whole of the fire range was uncovered,
complete with fender and poker. This gave the first real indication that we might have
something very interesting. Below the settle we came to floor boards with infill below but we
did not go beyond this level.
The digging operation then moved to the south (back of the settle) and to the west end of the
room. Within a short time a large quantity of rusty nuts and bolts began to surface, followed
quite suddenly by a wrought iron crucible found by Nick. Digging fever then became intense
but careful, with the discovery of a number of bronze/copper nails, some quite large. It was
felt that these, especially the larger items, may have come from the Powder House. The next
find came in the form of a number of bronze bearings. This was quickly followed by a small
numbered ingot of lead and a quantity of dross from the top of a smelted batch of lead,
complete with pine needles used to prevent oxidation. Also recovered were several oil dash
pots, stopcocks and what may be the gate off a shaft cage. When the site was cleared,
measured, drawn up and photographed the site was back-filled in order to preserve as much
of the domestic remains as possible.
The Building and its Sociological Aspect.
According to a survey completed by the University of Lancaster Archaeology Unit (Trueman
and Mc Gill, P27-29, item 34, 1990), the lower part of the building appears on a site plan
made between 1837 and 1847. The upper stories date from around 1870, a view which I
would agree with. The remains of the fireplace in the Managers Office on the top storey
suggests this from its design. The cast iron range in the suggested Assay Office area also
dates from this time. It is however the settle bench which gives the best indication as to the
date. I photographed one exactly like it which carried a date of 1873 in a mining museum
dedicated to the iron workings at Skinningrove, North Yorkshire. Whoever worked in this
office must have been highly thought of because the lay out and home comforts found in this
area were for the times ‘very snug’. Imagine having a nice fire range, which probably served
to melt the lead on, together with a settle seat on which to sit and warm one’s toes. Was this
really the case.
References
Trueman, M & “Snailbeach Lead Mine, Stage 2 Study (Archaeological Survey, August 1990),
Gill, M 1992, Lancaster University Archaeology Unit, Lancaster
8
Mining History, Ireland and the World Wide Web: a Survey of Current Resources
Greg Fewer
Prior to 1993, few people outside academia and government heard (or even cared) about the
Internet. Today, it is impossible to escape hearing about the Internet almost every day since
the advent of the World Wide Web. At this time, sceptics may still wonder at the value of the
Web for mining history research - isn't it after all dominated by commercial organisations and
especially by peddlers of pornography? Well... perhaps(!), but many academic organisations,
governmental institutions and individual researchers use the Web as a venue for their
publications. The Mining History Society of Ireland has its own home page
(http://www.iol.ie/~dcowman/mhsi.htm [which now automatically converts to
http://homepages.iol.ie/~dcowman/] or http://shaw.iol.ie/~dcowman/mhsi.htm) which
provides various organisational details, a directory of members, a checklist of Irish mining
sites, a bibliography of Irish mining history and a note from the chairperson (John Morris).
The purpose of this article, however, is to highlight a range of on-line mining history
resources relating predominantly to Ireland, most of which is not available on the MHSI site.
For this survey, I carried out a Boolean search of the terms "mining history" AND "ireland"
using the following Internet search engines :-
Altavista (http://www.altavista.digital.com)
HotBot (http://www.hotbot.com)
Infoseek (http://www.infoseek.com)
Lycos (http://www.lycos.com)
WebCrawler (http://www.webcrawler.com)
Yahoo! (http://www.yahoo.com).
When visiting these yourself, make sure you type their URLs [Universal Resource Locators -
i.e. the Web site addresses] into the 'URL'/'Go To'/'Open Location' box of your browser
correctly - a misplaced letter in the case of WebCrawler could bring you to a site whose
purpose is far removed from keyword searching!!
The search carried out for this article required the words 'mining' and 'history' to be adjacent
to each other with the word 'ireland' necessarily appearing somewhere in the text in each Web
document located by the search engines. Using the Boolean operator OR (as opposed to
AND) would have produced lists of Web sites containing only the term "mining history"
along with those bearing only the term "Ireland" - an irrelevant search result for our purposes.
It is advisable to use different search engines when carrying out keyword searches, since the
information each one supplies is dependent on what URLs have been included in their
databases. The more popular search engines might have a lot of sites indexed but other
engines could contain material missed by the others so they are well worth using. Indeed, the
differences became evident when I carried out the search of the terms specified above on 26
May 1997. HotBot came up with 51 documents, Altavista with 36 and WebCrawler with just
6. Neither Infoseek, Lycos nor Yahoo! allowed for Boolean searches of the terms given,
producing a search result that considered every document in which only one of the three
words occurred. For each word, Lycos came up with 60,266 'hits', Yahoo! produced 466,810
while Infoseek claimed to have found a staggering 23,000,968 counts. The bulk of these
would, of course be irrelevant for our search purposes. However, both Lycos and Infoseek
offer more advanced search capabilities but these were not pursued for the purposes of this
9
article, as those results compiled by the three that had applied Boolean searching probably
offered a reasonably representative selection of sites to assess for Irish mining history content.
Each site listed by Altavista, HotBot and WebCrawler was visited to consider its value for
Irish mining history purposes either on 26 May or over the following two days. This article
therefore constitutes a survey of the more relevant sites that were in existence at that time.
However, since Web pages are often ephemeral in nature (either undergoing constant
modification such as having their contents updated, ending up being moved to a new Web
address or even being totally deleted by their compilers once they became out-of-date), some
of those discussed here may be greatly altered over the next few months or may disappear
completely. As an example of this kind of problem, it was found in the course of this survey
that some links to MHSI's Web site from other sites are outdated (i.e., the URL was given as
http://www.iol.ie/~cbstramo/mhsi.htm).
The article is divided into three sections beginning with an evaluation of on-line directories
and links pages of mining history-related organisations before moving on to take a look at
electronic bibliographies and textual content.
Directories & Links Pages
These are simply lists of (in this case) organisations or institutions of interest to (Irish) mining
historians. Directories might supply such information as an organisation's postal or electronic
address as well as details such as current subscriptions, the organisation's aims and also its
publications (if any), but many are simply links pages. These typically contain only hypertext
links to other Web pages without any additional commentary or details. They may, however,
be subdivided under different category headings such as country, region or theme to facilitate
different people's interests.
1. Mining History Network's List of Other WWW Sites
(http://info.ex.ac.uk/~RBurt/MinHistNet/www.html)
First port of call for anybody navigating the Web for mining history organisations
would unquestionably be this. Observe the correct case of the letters in the URL to
ensure arriving at the Web site. It was compiled by Roger Burt who is the contact for
all of the MHN's pages (his own Web page being at http://www.ex.ac.uk/~RBurt) and,
at the time of writing, it was last modified on 23 May 1997. It contains links to over
60 other Web sites along with a few e-mail contact addresses arranged alphabetically
from “American Mining History Association” to “Yellowknife, City of”. Three sites
are, however, grouped together under the umbrella heading “Mining in Montana”.
The listing is quite international as it includes American, British, Canadian, Dutch,
French, German, Italian, Russian and South African bodies, while Ireland is
represented by MHSI's site. Such foreign Web sites ought to be of value to anyone
with an interest in the history of Irish miners or mining companies abroad.
2. Underground Database
(http://wkweb4.cableinet.co.uk/adrian.pearce/INDEX.HTM)
British-only mining history organisations and museums are listed more
comprehensively in this compilation by Adrian Pearce (E-mail:
[email protected]). Some do not have a Web site or Email address but
their contact postal address is provided in such cases. This is the official website for
10
the National Association of Mining History Organisations and Shropshire Mines Trust
and there are also pages on foreign mining history societies and museums, as well as
UK and foreign caving clubs and references.
3. West's Geology Directory
(http://www.soton.ac.uk/~imw/links.htm)
Another important and well-organised links page which is maintained by Dr Ian West
of Southampton University's geology department (Email: [email protected]).
Most links pertinent to readers of the MHSI Newsletter can be found under
“ECONOMIC GEOLOGY - Mining History”, which is divided into four sub-
categories - General, Societies, Turkey and UK. The Societies section contains only
nine entries, but two countries - Australia and Japan - are represented here that were
omitted from the Mining History Network's list. The single link under the Turkey
sub-category relates to the 1996 excavations at “The World's Oldest Tin Mine” at
Kestel which dates to the Early Bronze Age. Only eleven links make up the UK
section, seven of them dealing with the different regional parts of the Mining History
Network's (MHN's) bibliography, while one of the other four is a link to MHN's
directory of Web sites.
There is plenty of room for other British Web sites to be included here. There are also
useful links to individual museums or museum links pages totalling 18 in all and
subdivided under the following categories - General, UK, Canada, Curators, Curating,
Funding and Policy, etc, Europe and USA. The emphasis of these museum links is on
geology and palaeontology but some of these may contain some information on
mining history. There is also a list of book publishers and sellers that deal in geology
or mining history material - useful not just to the specialist book-buyer but to the
wannabe-published writers on these subjects, while a section on links to geological
and palaeontological bibliographies might include sites with a few references of
interest to the mining historian.
4. Das Virtuelle Museum
(http://www.industriekultur.de/VIM/gross.htm)
This has a huge list of links to British mining and other industrial history museums
and some organisations (Email: [email protected]). The Irish or
“Irland” page (../VIM/irland.htm), however, consists of only two links - one to The
Railway Preservation Society of Ireland's home page, the other to the Mining History
Society of Ireland as listed on the Mining History Network's Ireland page
(http://info.ex.ac.uk/~RBurt/MinHistNet/ireland.html) - not a direct link as it ought to
be. Northern Ireland features in the Great Britain page.
5. I.A. [Industrial Archaeology] Recordings: Other Industrial Archaeology Pages
(http://www.iarecord.demon.co.uk/otheria.htm)
More UK museum links can be found by looking up this British site, though this is not
as wide-ranging a list as that of 'Das Virtuelle Museum'.
11
6. Websurfer's Biweekly Earth Science Review: Hot Links Page
(http://shell.rmi.net/~michaelg/HOTLINKS.html)
This includes a section on “Mining and Related Topics”. It is dominated by present-
day mining activities but also includes some mining and metallurgical history links.
This Web page is, however, primarily concerned with palaeontology, minerals,
vulcanology and geology. There are many links to geological surveys in the United
States and in a number of other countries (including Ireland) while specialised sites
devoted to scientific techniques or to mapping and surveying are among other links
that may be worth pursuing (especially for the mining historian wishing to survey a
disused mine and possibly its related geology).
7. Cave Linx
(http://web.ukonline.co.uk/members/andy.mccarron/cavelink.htm)
This is maintained by Andy McCarron (Email: [email protected]) and
includes 350 links (or so it claims) to various “caving related” Web sites around the
world. These are organised alphabetically under each continent (and not country as
stated in this Web page's précis). Ireland merits only four entries but MHSI is not
among them.
8. Caves and Caving in the UK
(http://www.sat.dundee.ac.uk/~arb/speleo.html)
This is maintained by Andrew Brooks (Email: [email protected]) and includes
links to the Spelaeological Union of Ireland's home page (http://www.ul.ie/~sui/) and
to special interest groups of the British Cave Rescue Association such as
“SpeleoHistory”, “Cave Surveying” and “Photography”.
9. Geological Survey of Ireland's List of Irish Earth Science & Related Sites
(http://www.irlgov.ie/tec/gsi/gsilink1.htm)
This is an Irish-specific directory maintained by C. MacDermot (Email:
[email protected]) which includes university departments and research bodies.
MHSI is given a link and, in this instance, the URL is up to date!
Bibliographies
1. Published Works on Irish Mining 1955-1995
(http://homepages.iol.ie/~dcowman/book.htm)
Any Irish mining historian seeking a relevant on-line bibliography ought to begin with
this, which is the MHSI's own one. This bibliography is identical to that printed in
MHSI's Newsletter No.3 (1996). Although publications post-dating 1995 are not yet
included, they could easily be added at any time in the future. The major advantage of
an on-line bibliography is that it can be continually updated whereas a printed one
remains a static publication. Therefore, MHSI's bibliography has the potential to
become the most comprehensive and up-to-date compilation on Irish mining history
publications.
12
2. Mining History Network Bibliography... Ireland
(http://info.ex.ac.uk/~RBurt/MinHistNet/bib_IR.html)
This is a similar, though less comprehensive, compilation. Although both this and the
MHSI bibliography are based on one compiled by Roger Burt of Exeter University,
MHSI's version has been expanded. Unlike the MHSI version, however, there is a
section for postgraduate theses, though none had been listed by 7 March 1995 when
this particular Web page had last been brought up to date. The fact that this
bibliography has not been updated for more than two years represents an under-
utilisation of the World Wide Web's benefits, namely, the continually updateable
nature of Web pages.
3. International Union of Speleology's Speleological Abstracts for 1991
(http://www.geo.unizh.ch/~heller/SSS/BBS/91/211GB.html)
For the hazard-wary explorer of old disused mines, the British component of this is a
potentially invaluable bibliography of speleological literature dealing with
(predominantly UK) accidents and rescue incidents, radon presence in caves and
mines, and courses in first aid and mine leadership. The entries are listed
alphabetically by author and are drawn from a wide range of periodicals including
Mining News. The only Irish item, though, deals with cave rescue in Britain and
Ireland in the early 1980s.
4. List of Recent Geological Survey of Ireland Publications
(http://www.irlgov.ie/tec/gsi/gsipub1.htm)
This covers the various sheets of the new 1:100,000 scale Bedrock Maps and
booklets, a video, geotourism brochures and a few books on geology and mining
history. Abstracts and prices are supplied for each publication while a map shows the
current publication status for each of the new Bedrock Maps. A link to an on-line
order form is provided to facilitate electronic submissions of orders of GSI
publications. Links to other publishers of mining history material can be found in
“West's Geology Directory” referred to previously.
Historical Literature
1. Ancient Miners, Modern Collections
(http://www.kanwar.demon.co.uk/bcgs/l_report/1996/25nov96.html)
This is a report by Alf Cole of a lecture which was given by Robert Ixer of
Birmingham University to the Black Country Geological Society (based in Dudley,
West Midlands, in England) in November 1996. It deals with the origins of early Irish
copper and bronze working. The lecture noted that most of the Irish bronzes (found in
south-west Ireland) contain, uniquely, about 2% arsenic which is unusual because
arsenic only appears in the “grey ore” (or Fahlerz) minerals that are technically very
difficult to extract copper from. The lecture reported that recent comparative
scientific analyses of both the Irish arsenical bronze artefacts and arsenic-bearing ores
from Ross Island (near Killarney, County Kerry) and its vicinity strongly support the
view that this locality is the site of the earliest Bronze Age copper working in the
whole of the British Isles.
13
2. The Glenariff Mines and Railway
(http://www.btinternet.com/~lochist/glenarif.htm)
This Web page is compiled by MHSI's vice-chair, Kevin O'Hagan (Email:
[email protected]). It deals with a group of iron ore mines in County Antrim that
were exploited from the 1870s to the early 1880s. The mining company which
exploited the ore also built Ireland's first narrow gauge railway from the mines to the
coast to facilitate the transportation of the minerals by sea to Bristol. Details of the
railway and its ancillary structures are provided, including their subsequent
dismantling, and what now survives of them. Little is known of the mines themselves
though, since most of them are now blocked up.
3. The Village of Cargan, County Antrim
(http://www.btinternet.com/~lochist/cargan.htm)
This is also by Kevin O’Hagan and is about a nineteenth century village which lay
close to an early (short-lived) attempt to distil paraffin from bituminous peat in the
area. However, the village didn't really take off until the 1860s when iron ore mining
began nearby and housing was provided for the miners. Bauxite ore also began to be
mined there from 1871. Information is also offered about a short-lived overhead
aerial ropeway that transported ore to the coast for export and of a narrow gauge
railway which replaced it during the 1870s. Mining continued until the 1920s when
the bulk of the quality ores had become exhausted. Dated May 1995, this article
includes a short bibliography, a feature which does not appear for its Glenariff
counterpart. Both articles are nicely illustrated with 2-3 photographs showing the
localities as they appeared in the last century and what can be seen of the abandoned
mining operations today. Unfortunately, when they were being prepared for
publication on the Web, the titles of the two documents were confused with the
HTML title which appears only in the title bar at the top of the browser window (the
HTML title also appears in the results of the search engine searches). Due to the error,
neither page begins with a title at its head and the HTML titles appear in the browser's
title bar with redundant HTML tags. This is an easily resolvable problem that
nevertheless needs addressing since paper printouts of the two Web pages would bear
no titles. Also, the link given to MHSI's site is out-dated.
4. Mining History Network .. Introduction to Mineral Statistics
(http://info.ex.ac.uk/~RBurt/MinHistNet/MS/intro.html)
This provides an outline of the historical evolution of the British Mining Record
Office's initially irregular, but soon annual, publications on the output of the mineral
industry in Britain and Ireland since the 1840s. The earlier publications related
primarily to copper and lead mining but details of other metalliferous mining
operations and also of the coal industry were added later in the nineteenth century
(though annual reports of the Mine Inspectors had included details on coal mining
prior to this). The sort of information found in the Mining Record Office's reports are
mentioned and the various changes in their title, format and content are outlined
(additional material on the Mineral Statistics can be perused by typing the above URL
without the final element intro.html).
14
5. Speleological Union of Ireland and the Irish Cave Rescue Organisation
(http://www.ul.ie/~sui/suicro_news.html)
This is an on-line edition of a printed newsletter. It contains a note on the foundation
of MHSI, outlining the organisation's aims, giving details of its then forthcoming
inaugural general meeting and supplying contact addresses. Of concern are the
references to non-archaeological excavations in certain caves around the country,
notably at Poulnamadda in Fermanagh/Cavan where “carpet, a bed and multitudinous
bones, frozen into a solid mass” was discovered by SUI members in 1995. I would
have avoided any intervention over such material without the advice of an
archaeologist or a natural historian, yet it is stated that efforts directed at moving these
foreign objects are currently underway with significant numbers of bones having been
removed to date. Hopefully, none of these bones date to prehistoric times since their
unscientific removal would represent a loss of data to the radiocarbon dating research
of Ireland's early fauna (see P C Woodman & N Monaghan, “From Mice to
Mammoths: Dating Ireland's Earliest Faunas” in Archaeology Ireland 7(3), 1993: 31-
3). One useful feature of the SUICRO page is a brief paragraph on funding sources
for caving/spelaeological research projects, potentially worth exploring further for the
purposes of exploring old mines.
Conclusion
This general survey of Irish mining history and related resources on the World Wide Web has
only considered the results of a search for the terms “mining history” and “ireland”. It should
therefore be borne in mind that there may be some material that was missed because the word
“ireland” did not appear on particular Web pages dealing with Irish mining history. Also,
Web sites dealing with Irish miners or mining operations overseas were not included in this
survey though a few of these were encountered.
Although currently dominated by organisational and bibliographic data, there is much
potential for more extensive mining history information to be supplied on-line. In particular,
more full-text articles (perhaps previously or simultaneously published in conventional print
format) could be hosted either on the sites of particular mining history associations or on
individual historians' home pages. Postgraduate theses, often difficult to publish
conventionally, could be made available over the Internet, while video footage of old mine
explorations or even of their archaeological excavation could accompany a textual discussion
of the sites involved. Electronically searchable databases could also be placed and regularly
updated on the Web, such as the MS Access database of Irish mining sites mentioned in Des
Cowman's editorial of the MHSI Newsletter 3 (1996). Courses on mining history,
archaeology or even safety in mine exploration could be given directly across the Internet
through distance learning programmes (for an idea of what kinds of Internet-mediated courses
are already being offered by a number of third level institutions in North America, see
http://www.caso.com).
The only factors limiting the potential of the Internet as a resource for Irish mining history are
the scarcity of historians willing to publish on the World Wide Web and the expense faced by
many people wishing to connect to it. Hopefully, as mining history grows in popularity and
more people get connected to the Net, then the demand for mining history content on the Web
will increase also.
15
Greg Fewer is a part-time lecturer in local archaeology at Waterford Institute of Technology.
He also maintains his own Web site at http://www.infohwy.com/~gfewer/. This coming
academic year (1997/98), he will be offering an Extra-Mural Certificate course in Electronic
Publication at WIT. Persons interested in taking this course may contact him or the Dept of
Adult & Continuing Education, Waterford Institute of Technology, Cork Road, Waterford, for
further details.
16
Coal Nationalisation 50 Years on - the East Shropshire Coalfield
David Coxill
Following the passing of the Nationalisation of the Coal Industry Act 1946, after it was
initially delayed by opposition in the House of Lords, valuation reports of the coal industry’s
assets for each coalfield were prepared in order that the appropriate level of compensation
could be paid to the private owners. The report for the East Shropshire Coalfield
(Coalbrookdale, Shrewsbury and Forest of Wyre) was written by George Price. He was a
mining engineer from Sheffield and the report gives us a valuable insight as to the state of the
industry at that time. It also allows us to reflect on expectations for the future and how it all
turned out. The Oswestry Coalfield is not included in this report as it formed part of the
North Wales Coalfield for convenience.
1. Forest of Wyre Coalfield
At the time of nationalisation, only one deep mine was working, Alveley Colliery operated by
Highley Mining Co Ltd. The coalfield extends from Bridgnorth in the north to the Abberley
Hills in the south, actually crossing the county border into Herefordshire. The Highley Group
of the Upper Coal Measures contains thin sulphurous coals which were only rarely worked
around Bayton and Mamble. Beneath these, the Kinlet Group of the Productive Coal
Measures contained “sweet” good quality coal seams that were widely worked. The principle
seams were the Five-Foot (or Broach) Coal, Halfyard Coal, Four-Foot Coal and Two-Foot
Coal. Only the Broach was being worked in 1946.
The Highley Mining Company was formed in 1870 and coal production at Highley Mine
(SO745830) began in 1874. A second colliery was sunk at Kinlet in 1896 and continued until
it was forced to close in 1937 through roof problems and heavy faulting. During the 1930s, it
was decided to develop the area east of Highley Colliery and so the Alveley Colliery was
sunk on the eastern bank of the River Severn in 1935-37. Production commenced in 1938
and full output was reached six years later at 275,000 tons per annum. The two mines were
interconnected and, after 1940, Highley Colliery served only as ventilation shafts for Alveley
Colliery. The new mine was modern for its day, being electrified from the start, so there was
no need for boilers. Coal face working was fully mechanised and, in 1947, the capital cost of
Alveley Colliery was £206,937. There were 289 men working at the coal face, 135 for
haulage and another 561 underground making, with the 180 employed at surface, a total
workforce of 741 men.
Alveley worked to the north, south and east directions but not to the west, where the Highley
mine was. A natural boundary of the prospect to the east was the Romsley Fault but this
appears to have been penetrated at a much later date.
The future of Alveley looked promising and it was for about 20 years. At its peak in the
1930s it employed over 1,250 men, producing about 280,000 tons per annum. Then in 1968
the quality of the coal deteriorated dramatically at a time when there was a national over
supply and a major pit closure programme being implemented by Harold Wilson’s second
administration (1966-70) to remedy the situation. Had the quality problem occurred during or
immediately after World War II, or during the mid-1970s when there were energy crises
through blending, then it might not have mattered. However, coming at a time of oversupply,
the mine was closed as uneconomic in January 1969.
17
At the time of nationalisation, it was estimated that up to the Romsley Fault the estimated
reserves were 22 million tonnes for the Brooch Coal, 10 million tonnes for the New Mine
Coal and 15 million tonnes for the Flying Reed Coal, making a total of 47 million tonnes. At
most, only 15% of these reserves were worked.
2. Coalbrookdale Coalfield
Centred on the new town of Telford, coal seams from the Productive Coal Measures have
been heavily worked. For brief details on the geology see Coxill (1995) and the review article
on the IGS Telford Memoir in this Journal. The two major companies were the Lilleshall
Company in the north and the Madeley Wood Company in the south-east. In addition, there
were a number of companies who worked small mines.
The ownership of mines before vesting day (1st January 1947) was as follows. Only
Granville, Grange and Kemberton were major producers.
Mine (with Grid
Reference)
Owner Year Closed
Brandlee (SJ678076) J A Smallshaw 1956
Castle Place Castle Place Co Ltd
Common Common Colliery Co (Dawley) Ltd 1956
Farm Farm Lane (Lawley Bank) Colliery 1950s
Good Hope H S Pitt & Co Ltd
Grange Lilleshall Co Ltd 1979
Granville (SJ725120) Lilleshall Co Ltd 1979
Huntington Huntington Mining Co Ltd 1956
Kemberton (SJ712055) Madeley Wood Co Ltd 1967
Moors Moors Colliery Co Ltd
Wellington H A L Price
Old Park (SJ685088) E Harris & Sons
Plants Farm Dawley Mining Co Ltd
Princess End & Lawley 1948
Rock (SJ680092) J Jones & Son 1964
Shortwood (SJ658096) Shortwood Co 1970
Shrubbery J H Woodfin 1950s
Smalley Hill London Fields Colliery Co Ltd
Stoney Hill Doseley Pipe Co Ltd
Woodside Woodside Mining Co
The output for the small mines was quite small, although they made a useful contribution to
the local economy. Output figures for 1936-46, for those still open on Vesting Day, are as
follows :-
18
Owner 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 Total
(tons)
Wrekin Coal Co Ltd
9,170 6,601 6,962 5,740 5,786 7,103 8,166 8,446 8,564 7,325 7,465 81,328
J H Woodfin
2,811 436 820 1,249 951 1,406 1,377 1,928 1,870 1,156 664 14,668
J Jones & Sons
1,606 1,811 1,837 1,921 2,061 1,712 1,714 1,661 1,475 1,391 1,524 18,713
Common Colliery Co
(Dawley) Ltd
4,423 6,308 7,731 5,255 4,814 5,450 5,422 7,122 6,819 3,745 3,325 60,444
J A Smallshaw
- 3,517 4,786 2,485 2,721 1,404 3,593 5,008 2,402 2,188 2,649 30,753
Huntington Mining Co
Ltd
- - 1,067 2,555 4,034 4,146 3,615 3,249 3,554 3,661 2,954 28,835
Farm Mine
(Lawley Bank)
- - 675 2,327 816 1,595 2,028 675 4,400 5,061 5,680 23,257
Shortwood Co
- - - 959 909 4,219 7,608 9,035 7,791 11,213 12,077 53,811
Moors Colliery Co Ltd
- - - 1,888 3,339 3,487 3,853 5,218 6,030 5,782 8,159 37,756
H A L Price
- - - 275 3,397 3,504 1,590 2,066 2,520 2,298 118 15,768
E Harris & Sons
2,172 2,336 1,951 1,729 - - 339 1,625 2,540 2,995 3,203 18,890
Doseley Pipe Co Ltd
- - - - 2,249 5,584 4,572 3,971 2,961 3,275 1,938 24,550
H S Pitt & Co Ltd
- - - - 1,333 2,581 2,056 1,882 1,137 1,934 2,295 13,218
Dawley Mining Co Ltd
- - 270 - 1,046 3,004 3,470 1,886 1,754 999 1,097 12,506
London Fields Colliery Co
- - - - - - 1,339 3,830 4,588 4,621 3,743 18,121
Woodside Mining Co
- - - - - - - - 70 1,912 3,724 5,706
Castle Place Colliery
- - - - - - - - - - 60 60
Tonnage at mines closed
by Vesting Day
34,118 30,559 28,045 13,812 8,694 7,447 6,367 1,230 - - - 130,212
TOTAL
54,300 51,568 54,144 46,225 42,150 52,642 56,049 58,882 58,475 58,856 60,675 587,916
The last small private drift coal mine closed at Shortwoods near the Ercall in 1970. The total
estimated reserves per coal seam were estimated as follows :-
Seam Tons
(total)
Tons
(small mines only)
Fungous or
Marquis
22,653,000 -
Deep 24,741,000 -
Top 41,332,000 27,000
Double 46,389,000 193,000
Yard 33,365,000 211,000
Flint 37,928,000 380,000
New Mine or
Vigar
38,928,000 945,000
Clunch, Two
Foot, Best
54,342,000 1,820,000
Randle, Clod 51,666,000 1,634,000
Little Flint 20,156,000 1,236,000
TOTAL 371,563,000 6,446,000
19
The production for the Coalbrookdale and Forest of Wyre Coalfield combined was only just
over 500,000 saleable tons in 1946. That would suggest reserves sufficient to last about 740
years but 19 years later Brown (1965) estimated the Coalbrookdale Coalfield to still contain
120 million tons. This was sufficient to last until about 2165 AD. Deep coal mining actually
finished in 1979.
Madeley Wood Co Ltd
This company operated Kemberton Colliery (SJ112055) and the shafts were completed at a
depth of 1,092ft in 1864. In 1946, three seams were being worked viz. the Yard, Big Flint
and Vigar. During the Second World War output varied between 148,675 (1944) to 173,132
(1941) tons per annum and in 1946 the annual output was 190,000 tons. The old Halesfield
Colliery (SJ704051) was closed in 1925 and joined underground to Kemberton in 1939. It
was used thereafter for pumping, ventilation and emergency egress. During 1946, 558 men
were employed but after nationalisation the colliery prospered and the workforce increased to
nearly 800. Unfortunately, to the north-east the coal seams were being progressively cut out
by Symon unconformity (see Stonehouse 1950 and Coxill 1995). This severely limited the
mine’s future and, with a possible north-east extension of the Coalport syncline east of the
Madeley fault not proven, the mine closed in 1967.
Lilleshall Co Ltd
When miners returned from the First World War, management of the coal mines was returned
to the private owners. Although not nationalised during that period, the war required coal
mining to be nationally planned. The Lilleshall Company had several deep mines working at
that time but, due to adverse trading conditions, all but two closed, viz. Stafford in 1926,
Freehold in 1928, Woodhouse No.1 in 1931 and Woodhouse No.2 in 1940. A borehole
programme commenced in the 1920s/30s to prove coal reserves in the Lilleshall / Sheriffhales
area was quite promising and justified further investment at Granville Colliery, despite heavy
losses experienced in the 1930s. It was also expected that a new mine would be sunk in the
Sheriffhales area (to be called Woodlands Colliery - E Wood per communication) after the
war at cost of £45,000. Originally the new mine was to have come into production at 500,000
tons per annum but an obvious manpower shortage prevented this. The Lilleshall Company
were paid £10,498 as a repayment of capital for proving the concealed extension in the
Lilleshall / Sherrifhales area.
The new mine was in fact never sunk and the proven reserves were added to that of Granville.
It was forecasted that the existing coal reserves were sufficient to maintain existing outputs at
each of the three main deep mines (Alveley, Granville/Grange and Kemberton) for over 50
years. It didn’t work out like that. Reconstruction led to the merging of Granville and
Grange into one single unit in April 1952. Grange was not allowed to cross the A5 (Watling
Street) until after World War Two, where it worked in a small area until it met a fault that
upthrowed the coal seams to the south, where they had previously been worked by
Woodhouse Colliery. A roadway was also driven to connect Granville and Grange collieries
underground. After merging, the shafts at Grange were used for ventilation, emergency
means of egress and for training purposes. It was regarded as somewhat of a primitive mine
by some miners for having flat ropes.
Granville prospered in the post-war years with production often around 300,000-350,000 tons
per annum. It reached a peak of around 600,000 in the 1960s, when a new manager went for
20
peak production. He was considered by some local people to be inferior to the previous
manager, Mr Blower, who always had a new face prepared to replace an existing one that
finished when it hit a fault, a regular feature in this mine.
The mine was severely faulted, which almost led to its closure in 1972, but was given a last
minute reprieve due to the energy crisis caused by the Arab /Israeli war of 1972-73. There
was an underground shaft to assist in developing faces in seams affected by significant faults,
eg Abbey Wood and Great East. One of the shafts was deepened from 1,227ft reached in
1860 to 1,332ft in the 1950s, penetrating the Carboniferous Limestone and becoming the
deepest shaft in the coalfield. Curiously, as mine worked coal seams in an eastwards / north-
eastwards direction only, it was not affected by the Symon unconformity, an advantage its
neighbour Kemberton did not have. Following the closure of that mine in 1967, men
transferred to Granville and almost 900 men were being employed. This number quickly fell
to about 600 men in the 1970s.
Faulting was the main problem at Granville and by the Second World War coal faces
extended to Sherrifhales Manor. During the 1960s, Lilleshall Abbey was undermined in the
Top and Double coal seams. This resulted in 2ft of subsidence causing the size of the pool to
double and the Abbey walls having to be shored up. Workings in that direction extended to
about the Lilleshall Golf Club pavilion and close to Hugh’s Bridge. It wasn’t the major faults
that interrupted production but the smaller ones and the NCB’s insistence on working a few
long faces instead of several short faces that could more easily accommodate small faults.
The high risk / high reward strategy was costly and led to production decreasing in the mid-
1970s to around 250,000 tonnes per annum.
The proven reserves in the Sherrifhales area were little worked and remain to this day, where
they could prove a source of coal bed methane. This is obtained by pumping water down
boreholes into coal bearing strata that has been deliberately shattered by blasting, where the
water absorbs methane. On return, the gas is separated from the water as it is under lower
pressure. Old mine goaf workings are also a source for coal bed methane since the workings,
even if flooded, are still gassy. It is worth remembering that gas was deliberately collected
from Granville and sold to the Gas Board from 1957, the methane drainage plant being
attached to Grange Colliery. In the 1970s, the plant was discharging 600 cu ft of methane per
minute. Not all coal was cut at Granville for a lot was blasted. The seams were so gassy that
the pressure of the methane coming out of a drilled hole on occasions forced the coal face to
collapse.
The New Mine seam was abandoned in 1973 and the last face finished in the Heath Hill, near
Sherrifhales, in March 1979. The last coal was raised in May and the mine closed in June.
An appeal to save the mine was dismissed by the then Secretary of State for Energy, Tony
Benn, saying that there was no evidence that the mine would not experience the same
problems as had occurred in the past. With the closure of Granville, deep coal mining came
to an end in Shropshire.
Perhaps the biggest insult Granville Colliery received was a speech in Telford in the 1980s by
Tony Benn to denounce the pit closure programme. It was his decision to deny the necessary
investment to develop new districts that led to Granville’s closure. Whilst I am sympathetic
to the written reply that he gave to Wrekin’s then MP, Gerry Fowler, that the mine had
suffered heavy losses for several years and that the social costs of its closure had been taken
into
21
consideration for some time, I regard Tony Benn to be a hypocrite. The coal industry
undeniably has been butchered but Benn supported Arthur Scargill in trying to keep some
mines open that were hopelessly uneconomic.
Bibliography
Brown, I J “Mineral Working and Land Reclamation in the Coalbrookdale Coalfield”,
1975, PhD Thesis, Leicester University
Brown, I J “The Coalbrookdale Coalfield, Catalogue of Mines & Mining Bibliography”,
1968, Shropshire County Library
Brown, I J “The Mines of Shropshire”
1976, Moorland Publishing
Brown, I J “The Wealth of the Coalbrookdale Coalfield”, 1965
Bulletin Peak District Mines Historical Society, Vol.11, Parts 5-6
Coxill, D J “The Coalbrookdale Coalfield”
1995, SCMC Annual Journal
Hamblin, R J “Geology of Telford and the Coalbrookdale Coalfield”, 1995,
et al HMSO, London
Price, G “Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, Report on the Value of the Coal Industry Assets of
the Shropshire Valuation District as at the 31st December 1946”, 1946, HMSO, London
Stonehouse, T H “Recent Provings of Concealed Extensions of the Coalfields of Shropshire and South
Staffordshire”, 1950, Transactions Institute of Mining Engineers, Vol.110
Wood, E personal communication as ex-employee of Lilleshall Co Ltd, 1986
22
Memories of Madeley
Harry Micklewright
The following extracts are taken from the memoirs of Harry Micklewright, whose mother
Sarah Fletcher was a member of a family who were local chartermasters. They were written a
few years ago and were sent in by Patt Watt of New Zealand who is researching her family
history.
“In the middle of the last century, the district between Madeley and Wellington was
prosperous; the hilly ground was dotted with coal and ironstone mines and furnaces. Their
names are amongst my earliest recollections - Kemberton, the only pit still working, of which
Uncle John Fletcher was chartermaster, Hill’s Lane, my great grandfather Jones and my
grandfather Fletcher’s pits, the Meadow pit in the centre of the town and the Court pit and
furnace.”
“Each pit was worked by a contractor, known as a chawtermaster (chartermaster), who until
the Mines Inspectors were appointed was entirely responsible for its working. On the whole
they were extremely knowledgeable men. Uncle John Fletcher could talk very interestingly
about geology, ponies, machinery and management of fields and coppices belonging to his
pit. Most of them made a comfortable income, built their own houses and worked with the
men till they died.”
“As a boy, on hot summer afternoons I climbed on the wall at the end on the garden. Across
the field on my left was a wooded hill, once a slag heap. To the right I could see an old
Newcomen engine patiently winding coal.”
“Eleven o’clock! And Topsy is going to take me to Kemberton with her father’s and
brother’s midday meal. So down the narrow lane we go, past the great barn and the eerie
house with its walled garden, sundial and fishpond, the old windmill, the Court furnaces,
where we may be lucky enough to see the molten iron being tapped into the sow and pigs,
over the canal, past Perkses, up the lane to Rowe’s Pit (Uncle Harry’s brother-in-law), just a
little scared by the huge boiler which once blew up, till we reach the incline with its double
row of ironstone wagons attached to an endless chain which rattles over wooden pulleys, the
full trucks from Kemberton to the canal wharf pulling the empty ones on the return journey.
It is fun to ride on an empty, jump off, overtake the next, and so on till we reach the top. First
find cousin Will superintending the women chipping the clay off the ironstone on the pit
bank, and then uncle, who is sure to take me to have a look at the grand new engine, so
superior to the old Newcomen one. For a time I watch the trucks of coal coming up one of
the pitshafts, and tubs of water up the other. There must have been three shafts - another for
ironstone for the coal and ironstone were on different levels, or they may have had an incline
underground for one or other.”
Pat has promised to send a copy of the complete memoirs for our library. She would be
interested in any information on her ancestors - the Fletcher and Jones families who worked
mines at Dawley, Hills Lane, Kemberton and Stirchley. Her address is :-
Pat Watt
48, Ohaupo Rd
Hamilton
New Zealand.
23
Review of the Geological Memoir of Telford & the Coalbrookdale Coalfield
David Coxill
“Geology of Telford and the Coalbrookdale Coalfield”, B.G.S. Memoir, HMSO London,
1995
R J O Hamblin & B C Coppack
Preface
I have now commenced to write a future SCMC Account which will be entitled “The
Coalbrookdale Coalfield”. This is by popular request and will be targeted at the mining
historian who wishes to read about the coalfield’s mining history but also to understand the
geology regarding those horizons that produced such mineral wealth. It will be based upon
my own researches into the geology and history of the area which I have undertaken
periodically from the mid-1970s.
This will be a more detailed follow-on from the two chapters covering the coalfield in
“Mining in Shropshire” (1995), written collectively by Kelvin Lake, David Adams and
myself. This, like my 1992 book “The Mines of Lilleshall & Church Aston, Shropshire”, and
a more illustrative production on that subject which is currently in preparation by David
Adams, will be fully referenced. That will hopefully placate the critics of “Mining in
Shropshire” that regard it as having no academic value. [Ed. - the latter book was specifically
written for a general audience and was never intended as an “academic” publication. Its sales
more than justify its format - which I would like to see academic ones match any day!]
The new geological memoir that was published on the coalfield by the B.G.S. in 1995
provides a golden opportunity to review the contents of an excellent piece of work that brings
new information to the public domain for the first time. Its presentation is superb and it is
written by some very gifted individuals. Time goes by rapidly for science and already some
new data has become available since the memoir was written and this will be commented on.
For anyone wishing to briefly acquaint themselves with the geology and mining history of the
coalfield, they are referred to an article I wrote in the 1995 SCMC Journal.
Background
The long awaited new geological memoir updates and replaces the earlier out of print edition
entitled “The Country between Wolverhampton and Oakengates” by T.H. Whitehead et al
(1928). It is based on a fundamental re-survey of the Coalbrookdale Coalfield that was
carried out in the early 1970s, complimenting the 1:25,000 and 1:10,560 scale geological
maps of the new survey that were published in 1978. The new 1:25,000 map is far easier to
use than the older 1:63,360 Wolverhampton sheet (1929) that accompanied the older memoir.
The price of the new 1:10,560 map has risen dramatically in recent years and is not
recommended for purchase. At £50.00 the new memoir is pricy but acceptable for the serious
individual.
There was concern that funding would never be found for publication. It benefits from the
extra information that has been gained from boreholes, opencasting and geophysical surveys
since the old memoir was published. The survey was carried out while Granville Colliery
was still working. It does not entirely cover the northern part of the coalfield in the published
maps as the Lilleshall, Church Aston and Sherrifhales area is excluded.
24
The log sections, maps and diagrams are excellent. An OS map base would have been
preferable in many places but OS copyright costs no doubt prohibit this. Since the analysis if
the memoir includes th eLilleshall limestones, the title should have been “The Geology of the
Coalbrookdale Coalfield” in keeping with its traditional name. Although centred on and
dominated by Telford, peripheral areas outside the new town lie within the coalfield, eg
Broseley. Composed of 9 chapters, 6 appendices, 53 figures and 4 tables covering 158 pages,
it is well written but in places will be too detailed for the non-geologist to read. It quite
rightly concentrartes on the Coal Measures which is where the main mineral wealth was
exploited. The recognition of the works of Dr Ivor Brown is conspicuous by its absence. A
brief history of the mining development of the coalfield was published as “Mineral Resources
of the Coalbrookdale Coalfield - Basis of the Industrial Revolution” (R Hamblin, I Brown and
J Elwood, 1989). Consequently no mining history is included in the present memoir. I
believe this to be a mistake since the memoir will stay in print longer than the Mercial
Geologist article. Still this is an opportunity for the SCMC to expoit.
Introduction
Before commenting on the memoir text, the reader needs to know the very basics of the
coalfield’s geology. The coalfield, centred on the new town of Telofrd, is very small by
national standards. It extends from Linley in the south to Lilleshall and the Wrekin in the
north and it is very narrow at outcrop. The outcropping Productive Coal Measures are
bounded by the Boundary Fault in the north, against later Triassic Sandstones, dips beneath
these sandstones roughly east of Sheriffhales and Shifnal, outcrops updip against older strata
to the east and is cut out uncomformably beneath Upper Coal Measures strata south of Linley.
Within the Coal Measures, valuable coal, ironstone and clay seams were exploited for many
centuries. Even natural bitumen was discovered and pumped from the tar Tunnel at Coalport.
On the flanks of the coalfield, Lower Carboniferous Limestone was worked at
Lilleshall/Church Aston in the north-east and Steeraway, The Hatch, Lilttle Wenlock in the
north-west, mainly as a flux for the iron furnaces. The older Wenlock Limestone was worked
for similar purposes at Lincoln Hill near Ironbridge and Buildwas south of the River Severn.
Small aggregate quarries have also worked Uriconian lavas at Lilleshall, Lawrence Hill (near
to Ercall), basalt lavas at Doseley Quarry, igneous “camptonite” intrusion at Maddocks Hill
and the sedimentary rock quartzite at the Ercall Quarries. Even brine has been pumped from
several wells, eg at Preston-on-the-Weald. Iron pyrites and Walker’s Earth (an inferior
version of Fuller’s Earth) have been worked locally from the Wenlock Shales at
Coalbrookdale.
The coalfield is heavily and multiple fractured. The main trend belongs to the Variscan
oogeny (mountain building epoch) which created north-west/south-east trending fractures.
The most notable examples are the Lightmoor Fault, Great East or Limestone Fault and the
Ketley Fault. The Lightmoor Fault divides the coalfield into an uplifted exposed western
section and a downfaulted concealed eastern section. It is not surprising that the western part
of the coalfield, where the coal seams are shallower, was worked first, while the deeper
concealed section had to await technological developments, ie the steam engine to pump
themines dry, before it yielded its mineral wealth.
The Variscan earth movements also folded the strata into three distinct basins, the
Donnington, Madeley and Coalport Synformal Synclines. The coal seams were reasonably
well protected in these basins from erosion but the reverse was true of higher land in the
25
antiformal (dome) areas between these basins. The famous Symon Unconformity removed
all the workable coal seams in a south-west/north-east trend, sub-parallel with the Great East
Fault, from Coalbrookdale, extending through Brookside to the north of Shifnal. This barren
zone, now called the Stirchley Anticline, has no mines and divides the coalfield between a
northern and southern area.
A simplified stratigraphical succession of the traditional coalfield is as follows :-
Formation Rock Type Period
Sherwood Sandstones TRIASSIC sandstone TRIASSIC
Bridgnorth Sandstone PERMIAN sandstone PERMIAN
Enville Formation } sandstone & clays }
Keele Formation } Upper Coal Measures sandstone } UPPER COAL MEASURES
Coalport Formation } (Upper Carboniferous) sandstone } (Upper Carboniferous)
Hadley Formation } sandstone }
Productive Coal Measures
(Middle & Lower)
coal, ironstone, pyrites,
seatearths, sandstones
UPPER COAL MEASURES
Lilleshall & Steeraway
Dinantian Limestone
Series
limestone, sandstone, Little
Wenlock basalt
LOWER CARBONIFEROUS`
Basement Beds Lilleshall oolitic limestone DEVONIAN ?
Wenlock Limestone limestone }
Wenlock Shale mudstone, siltstone } SILURIAN
Dolgelly Beds black radioactive mudstone }
Comley Sandstones glaucastic sandstone } CAMBRIAN
Wrekin Quartzite quartzite }
Uriconian Lavas lavas PRE-CAMBRIAN
The Text
Chapter 1 is the introduction and summarises the geology and history of research. The latter
could have been expanded and been a forerunner to an extra chapter on possible concealed
connections with other coalfields. Sadly this is missing.
Chapter 2 is about Pre-Coal Measures. This ranges from the Pre-Cambrian Rushton Schists,
includes the Silurian Wenlock Limestone, the the Lower Carboniferous Limestones. It is
interesting to note that the latter have been discussed but not the faulted rhyolitic inlier of
Lilleshall Hill. Both fall north of the mapped area. The memoir covers a square area and
consequently includes an area in the south-west that is not traditionally associated with the
coalfield. Boundaries have to be drawn somewhere so it is only right that the non-coalfield
strata is sensibly underweighted. Figure 2 on page 4 is innovative since it shows the
conjectured incrop boundary of Dinantian (Lower Carboniferous) and Ludlow (Silurian)
strata. Incrop means the line where a concealed horizon pitches against and is cut out by a
later higher horizon unconformably. This has resulted at the Lincoln Hill Mine of the Lower
Carboniferous Limestone in the north of the district being absent and the Lower Coal
Measures resting unconformably on Silurian Wenlock Limestone.
In the Cambrian strata of southern Lilleshall, the memoir notes that the Croft borehole (1972)
discovered the Dolgelly Beds above the Comley Sandstone. Since the new memoir was first
26
drafted (many years prior to its publication) there has been a major borehole programme for
investigations into the stability of mine workings, principally done by Arup Geotechnics.
This investigation programme has established that the Dolgelly Beds are unconformably cut
out by by the basal limestone strata. Fortunately it does not underlie any housing since a high
gamma reading is recorded, caused by the decay of uranium, emitting radon gas.
On page 15 it is suggested that possibly Silurian strata lies beneath the Lower Carbonifeous
strata at Lilleshall. That was possible since the Cambrian/Carboniferous outcrop contacts are
all faulted. However, recent borehole evidence has proved that Cambrian strata lies directly
beneath Lower Carbonifeous strata, the Silurian being absent (Coxill, 1992). The Arup
Geotechnics investigation programme proved that there are several local unconformities
within the Lilleshall limestone sequence. Had the new memoir been edited to reflect new
data available in the late 1980s and 1990s, it would more accurately reflect the current state of
knowledge at the publication date. Coxill (1992) interprets the basal part of the Lilleshall
limestone series (Dixon’s Group 1 Beds in Whitehead at al, 1928) as possibly being of late
Devonian age, based on sedimentological evidence, ie they resemble cornstones of that age.
Nevertheless I accept that there is yet no faunal confirmatory evidence. The memoir
incorporates the work of Mitchell and Reynolds (1981) that through studying the conodont
fauna and re-assessing the brachiopod species identifications, eg th eoriginal survey’s
collection, proves that Dixon’s Group 2 Beds are a much older Tournaisian age within the
Lower Carboniferous than previously thought.
Chapters 3-5 concern the Coal Measures and they give an excellent account of the mineral
bearing horizons. The Limesotn/Great East Fault has always been used to divide the coalfield
into the two synformal synclinal basins north and south, with the Symon trending sub-parallel
to its axis and in the south-west removing all workable coal seams. The memoir names this
antiformal anticlinal dome as the Stirchley Anticline. Curiously, the north is called the
Dawley area but it should really be called the Donnington or Lilleshall Company area by
tradition. The south Madeley area is acceptable terminology.
General mention is made where each mineral horizon was worked which is useful. It would
have been preferable for the mine plans for each worked horizon to have been shown in
summary form but I suppose this is a geological, not a mining publication. It is shown for the
first time that, in addition to the Symon, there are other local washouts within the Productive
Coal Measures. It is field observations of this quality that justifies the re-survey of classic
geological areas. Excellent examples are shown in Figures 22 and 24 on pages 56 and 60.
The Coalport Formation has been sub-divided so that its lower part is now called the Hadley
Formation, which is the diachronous equivalent to the famous Etruria Formation of
Staffordshire. The isopach contour maps of Figures 11 and 12 showing the changing
thickness of named formations are an excellent diagrammatical inclusion in the memoir. The
famous Symon Unconformity has been re-named the Hadley Unconformity because the name
Symon means unconformity, making it a a tautologous phrase.
Chapter 6 concerns Permian and Triassic rocks which occur on the flanks of the coalfield to
the north and east. It updates the stratigraphical nomenclature of these formations as follows
:-
27
Old Name New Name Period
Lower Mottled
Sandstone
Bridgnorth Sandstone PERMIAN
Bunter Kidderminster Conglomerate } Sherwood
Sandstone
}
Upper Mottled
Sandstone
Wildmoor Formation } Group } TRIASSIC
The memoir takes the conservative view, as I do, that the Enville Beds of the Upper Coal
Measures belong to the Upper Carboniferous and not the Permian.
Chapter 7 is about structure. The memoir and maps illustrate how heavily mined the coalfield
is, much more than is possible to show on the old Wolverhampton sheet. Some of the
problems mining engineers had can be appreciated in the area immediately west of Grange
Colliery and north of Watling Street (A5). It is shown as so severely faulted that it seems
incredible that it was ever worked. Yet it worked as an independant mining unit from 1868-
1952. The cross sections on Figure 37, page 101 illustrating the folding as well as the
faulting are excellent. In Figure 36, page 100, it is postulated that the Coalport Syncline
extends in a north-east direction beneath later strata. This theme could have been expanded,
as previously noted, updating the work of Wills (1956) for this area.
The new memoir concludes that the Symon does not affect Productive Coal Measures strata
north of a line roughly from Granville Colliery to Ketley. This is confirmed by a borehole
sunk in the Lilleshall/Sheriffhales area that has been reported by Stonehouse (1950). This is
interesting since sheet sections of Crow Hayes (Coxill, 1992) and of the Hugh’s Bridge
borehole in the 1920s show an incomplete coal seam succession, with the highest seams
apparently being cut out progressivley northwards. It now seems that this is due to a
combination of faulting and coincident, rather than the Symon being involved.
Chapter 8 discusses recent geophysical surveys. Chapter 9 on Quaternary drift deposits
shows new drift patterns being mapped as compared to the old survey. The discovery of the
buried drift channel at Oakengates is particularly interesting. There was a major landslide at
Jackfield, east of Ironbridge on the River Severn where many houses fell into the river. That
was a combination of collapsed workings from the nearby old Tuckies Mine clay workings
and unstable slopes (Brown, 1975).
Appendix 2 is a list of shafts, pits and collieries. It could have been improved by stating the
owners and when the mine was worked. Appendix 5 is a glossary where surprisingly the term
Symon is missing.
28
Bibliography
Arup Geotechnics Various geotechnical reports on disused limestone mines in the
Coalbrookdale Coalfield (for a full list consult Wrekin District Council)
Brown, I “Mineral Working & Land Reclamation in the Coalbrookdale Coalfield”
Coxill, D “The Mines of Lilleshall & Church Aston, Shropshire”, 1992
Hamblin, R et al “Mineral Resources of the Coalbrookdale Coalfield - Basis of the Industrial
Revolution”, 1989, Mercian Geologist, Vol,12, No.1
Hamblin, R & Coppack, B “Geology of Telford & the Coalbrookdale Coalfield”, 1995
Mitchell, M & Reynolds, M “Early Tournaisian Rocks at Lilleshall, Shropshire”, 1981
Murchison, R “The Silurian System”, 1839
Pearce, A et al “Mining in Shropshire”, 1995
Prestwich, J “On the Geology of Coalbrookdale”, 1840
Scott, M “On the Symon Fault of of the Coalbrookdale Coalfield”, 1846
Stonehouse, T “Recent Provings of Concealed Extensions of the Coalfields of Shropshire
South Staffordshire”, 1950
Whitehead, T “The Country between Wolverhampton and Oakengates”, 1928
Wills, L “Concealed Coalfields”, 1956
29
Henfwlch Mine Explored
Roy Fellows
The Henfwlch Adit emerges at NGR SN737882, just above the Nant-y-moch mountain road,
a particularly scenic part of mid-Wales. There are spoil heaps just above the road and, just
inside the trees, the stone chimney of what was once a building. Beyond this, at the head of a
section of boggy ground, is the adit.
This was first entered by myself about 1988 and at that time it was thigh deep in water. It was
found to be a straight heading for about 200 metres, passing a blocked rise on the right and a
blind heading on the left. The blind heading contained the remains of a wheelbarrow. After
the straight section, the level turned south for about 70 metres and then west. On the right, a
short level has been made into an explosives store and this has the remains of a wooden door.
After passing another short level on the left leading to a winze, the level reached a collapse.
Although this could be passed, it was blocked a few metres further on by another solid
collapse.
In 1994, I returned to the mine in order to descend the aforementioned winze. There was a
length of timber across the level, put there for this purpose by other explorers. I considered
this inadequate, however, and placed a number of bolts. The winze was found to be 48ft deep
to a solid bottom, where there were a number of sections of ladder which had fallen away
from the sides of the shaft. There was a window to the west into a large stope, a floor of
rubble being gained after a further few feet. Here, water coming down the shaft disappeared
into the floor. Progress inbye was prevented by a continuation of the collapse from the adit
above. Above a bank of deads, the stope extends about 15 metres in an outbye direction.
This was the limit of my earlier explorations however, towards the end of the level, a gap in
the boulders draughted strongly and this was to be the subject of my recent attentions.
In the winter of 1996, I returned to the mine as part of what I was now calling my “Mid-
Wales Project”. The object of this was to gain access to workings not previously entered by
modern explorers. The water level was now upper chest and, in the freezing weather
conditions and chill factor winds prevailing at that time, this made changing out of a wet suit
at the end of the day something of a feat of endurance. The object of the exercise was a dig at
the draughting area at the end of the main level. This required a considerable amount of
timber but the deep water, however, was to be a blessing as it was quite easy to make it up
into little rafts and tow it down the level. The dig being vertical and in loose material has
required special considerations. Initially it was necessary to squeeze past a boulder of slightly
questionable stability. It was very tight and, although only about 8ft, I fitted a short length of
electron, without which it would have been impossible to get back out. This boulder has
subsequently been half chiselled away and secured with a scaffold pole plus some shoring to
support the ground underneath it. Also a steep rubble slope was encountered immediately
below the dig. I have consolidated this by driving in road steels to pull in a horizontal length
of timber, at a place where a step is very conveniently placed. My fear was that disturbance
of the rubble slope by exploration parties could compromise the integrity of the dig.
The dig leads down to the head of a stope, which has been filled with collapse material and
backfill. It is the same one reached by the 48ft winze. Descending the rubble slope and
ascending a slope of backfill, the horizon of the adit is regained. The horizon is made up of
backfill in a stoped out area with a height of about 4 metres. Here there is a very interesting
artefact, a wheelbarrow made without any legs in near perfect condition. These wheelbarrows
30
Figure 3 - Henfwlch Mine Accessible Workings
Portal at NGR SN737882
31
are of a type known in Derbyshire as “Sough Barrows”. The word sough is a Derbyshire
name for a drainage level and Derbyshire soughs are often very confined spaces, hence the
design of the barrow. The Henfwlch version, however, is somewhat larger and is fitted with a
cast iron wheel.
The level continues for another 200 metres or so to end at a collapse of what appears to be
dried-out mud from the surface but on the left is another winze. Before this, two blind
headings are passed on the right. The first has an enamelled teapot, now almost rusted away
and the second has been half backfilled. One section has extensive packwalls and, at this
point, there are stubs of many tallow candles. The winze at the end was descended after some
difficulty in providing a suitable belay. The walls of the level are in a soft mudstone, the
same kind of ground seen at the Hafan Mine to the south-west. This is a different kind of
ground to the rest of the mine. It was obviously unsuitable for bolting and I was also unable
to make a satisfactory belay with scaffold poles after dragging them through the levels. My
final resort was an Acro prop. The winze also required the use of electron ladder due to a
slope of soft ground at the top. It was found to be 40ft and blind, being merely a trial.
Obviously the burning question is that of a possible connection with Hafan. Rather than give
an opinion on this, I shall try to reiterate the facts and leave the reader to make their own
conclusions. One of my colleagues has suggested that they must connect because the water
running down the 48ft winze must be exiting at Hafan Deep Adit, however this is not
necessarily so. David Bick states that the mines never connected and that water could be
finding its way into Hafan by natural fissures. Indeed, at the end of the workings several
veins can clearly be seen to take the form of natural mineralised fissures rather than solid
rock.
The geological survey seems to suggest that the two mines do connect but without saying so
in so many words. It describes the Henfwlch Adit as “draining the principal or Hafan shaft to
a depth of 24 fathoms. About 83 fathoms further west the Bog shaft is drained by the same
adit”. Plotting the course of the adit on the OS map puts the collapse at my dig to correspond
with the shaft on top of the hill adjacent to the quarry (NGR SN735882). This must be the
principal shaft referred to by the British Geological Survey. Plotting the rest of the adit on the
map takes one to a point only about 80 metres from the head of the Hafan incline, where the
Hafan workings start. To add to the controversy, David Bick describes Hafan Deep Adit as
being driven for 250 fathoms (500 yards)! This would most certainly take it below the
horizon of the Henfwlch workings.
Exploration of the workings described is both easy and straightforward, all in there are about
600 metres of workings that can be explored without vertical techniques. On a subsequent
visit I was easily able to lower the water level to belt depth so a little more work would
reduce this level still further. The dig is reasonable for anyone of average build but would
probably be impossible for anyone of wider girth. The 48ft winze is both safe and
straightforward, the water flow can be stemmed by a little damming in the level. This mine
should provide interesting exploration for many years to come.
References
Jones, O T “Memoirs of the Geological Survey, Vol.XX”
Mining Facsimile reprint
Bick, D “The Old Metal Mines of Mid-Wales, Part 3”
32
Figure 4 - Building at Henfwlch Mine
33
General Rules & Special Rules at Shropshire Mines
Ivor Brown
Legislative control over activities at Shropshire mines increased in a dramatic way between
the mid-19th century and the early 20th century. Not only was there the normal Acts and
Regulations controlling the mines but also two separate sets of Rules with which to comply.
The first set of Rules were called General Rules and laid down by Parliament, they were
cumbersome and difficult to modify. The second set were called Special Rules and these
worked like local bylaws (see Figure 5). They were made by the mineowners themselves and
modifications to accord with local practice were easy, quick and inexpensive to obtain.
Shropshire miners generally were willing to accept, even prefer, the Special Rules but were
always concerned that they themselves had no part in the process of making them. Indeed,
through their agent Mr W Latham, they strongly petitioned the Royal Commission on Mines
in 1908 that they should at least “have a voice” on what was included in them.
The development of these Rules is outlined in the following and examples are given of their
enforcement in Shropshire. Copies of the Special Rules for Shropshire’s Collieries (including
ironstone mines) and for Clay Mines have been located but, as yet, no Special Rules have
been found for the orefield. Special Rules have, however, been found for the Derbyshire
Lead Mines and the Ore Mines of North Wales, as well as separate Rules for some individual
mines in small fields similar to Shropshire elsewhere in Britain. Part of one of these, that at
Foxdale Lead Mine in the Isle of Man, is therefore used as an example.
A notable feature of mining law is its differences from general law, eg the number of cases of
infringement taken to court bears little resemblance to the actual number since in most cases
the offender (and in mining you are guilty until proven innocent) is given the choice of being
tried by the management or by a Court of Law. This system was still in operation in
Shropshire in the 1950s-60s as I know to my cost - fined 10s 0d for carrying a piece of
equipment (a new pick blade) in a cage carrying passengers. The fine went to a charity
chosen by the colliery staff (I believe). The offender signed an apology notice (see Figure 7)
if he opted to be tried by the management.
Development
The Coal Mines Inspection Act 1855 laid down that two separate sets of Rules would apply to
collieries, the General Rules to be carried out in every mine under the Act and the Special
Rules to be made “for each colliery by the owners or agents thereof”. General Rules included
such matters as provision of sufficient ventilation, properly constructed shafts, proper
signalling and indication arrangements for winding and that steam boilers should have safety
valves, water gauges and steam gauges.
The Special Rules were to be so framed as to suit the method of working, the nature of the
seams and character of the winding and other appliances used at a particular colliery. In each
coalfield the characteristics of the collieries were so often much alike that Rules for a
particular coalfield were agreed by the major operators, although individual operators could
still go it alone. In any case, the Special Rules as made by the owners or agents had to receive
the approval of one of the principal Secretaries of State.
The Mines Inspection Act 1860 repealed the above although many of the provisions were
similar. The new provisions for the General Rules now included aspects of fencing, safety
34
Figure 5 - Example of General Rules & Special Rules
GENERAL RULES
AND
SPECIAL RULES
TO BE OBSERVED BY
THE OWNER, AGENT, UNDER-VIEWER,
DEPUTIES AND WORK-PEOPLE
OF
MR JOSEPH MARSLAND’S
PROVIDENCE COLLIERY
CLIFFE HILL,
WAKEFIELD, YORKSHIRE
WAKEFIELD:
PRINTED BY W. T. LAMB, STATIONER, &c
17, Northgate
_
JULY 18TH 1856
PREFACE
THE Act of Parliament 18 and 19 Victoria, cap. 108, 14th August, 1855, recites that Coal owners shall establish
special rules for the conduct and guidance of persons acting in the management of Collieries, and of all persons
employed in or about the same; and that such special rules shall be approved of by the Secretary of State, subject
to the arbitration of one or more competent persons in the district, nominated by the Coal-owner, and chosen by
such Secretary of State.
The Act of Parliament, clause 11, enacts that every person employed in or about a coal mine or colliery who
neglects or wilfully violates any of the special rules established for such coal mine or colliery, shall for every
such offence be liable to a penalty not exceeding two pounds, or to be imprisoned; with or without hard labour,
in the common gaol or house of correction for any period not exceeding three calendar months or to be
proceeded against and punished according to the provision of the act Fourth George the Fourth, chapter thirty-
four, intituled ‘An Act to enlarge the Power of Justices in determining Complaints between Masters and
Servants’.
The Act of Parliament also recites that the General and Special Rules shall be painted on a board, or printed on
paper, to be pasted thereon, and shall be hung up or affixed on some conspicuous part of the principal office of
the colliery, and that they shall be renewed and restored as often as they or any part of them become obliterated
and destroyed; and that a copy of such General and Special Rules shall be supplied to all persons in or about the
colliery; and the 13th clause of the said act recites that every person who pulls down, injures or defaces any
Notice hung up or affixed, as required by this Act, shall for every such offence be liable to a penalty not
exceeding forty shillings.
35
lamp usage, overhead covers to protect persons in shafts, disuse of single link winding chain
and use of large flanges or horns on winding drums (to prevent rope or 3-linked chain
slipping off). The Special Rules now had to be specific on signalling and details of method
and places for distribution of wages. The 1860 Act was also intended to apply to stratified
ironstone mines as well as collieries.
The Metalliferous Mines Regulation Act 1872 proved to be misleading, partly as it did not
include most ironstone mines (which were covered by the Coal Mines Regulation Act 1872),
but was intended to cover also such non-metals as limestone and slate. The provision of both
these Acts with regard to the Rules were similar but Special Rules were only compulsory for
mines under the Coal Mines Act. The Secretary of State, however, could decide that they
were necessary at a prescribed metalliferous mine.
Later Regulation Acts modified the earlier Acts. The Coal Mines Regulation Act 1887
tightened up on the firing of shots, use of safety lamps and the conditions of employment and
included in total some 39 General Rules. In addition, the Special Rules had to be brought up
to date. The 1896 Act amended the principal Act and added General Rules relating to the use
of tamping materials during shotfiring, the use of lamps and inspection of working places and
provides for the representation of the men in cases of arbitration arising under the provisions
of the Act.
By the first decade of the 20th century, the Code of Special Rules had been agreed for each of
the 24 Mining Districts in Great Britain, the number of rules varying from 93 to 247. The
Shropshire Code for Mines contained 208 rules but avoided the excesses of some of the rules
in other districts, eg making attendance at church on Sunday compulsory and attendance at
work in an unshaven state a breach of the Act (based on Coal Mining Law by J Sinclair 1958,
published by Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons).
Application
The annual reports of the Inspectors of Mines at this time usually give the date when the
individual mines adopted Special Rules. Occasionally single copies are still found and these
provide considerable information on the operations of a particular mine or mines at the time
they were produced. In 1908 the Royal Commission on Mines made a collection of the
Codes of Rules in force at that date. This collection was then published with the following
“prefatory note”.
“This collection of the Codes of Rules in force in mines and quarries in the United Kingdom
has been compiled for the use of the Royal Commission on Mines. The volume is divided
into three parts. Part I, relating to mines under the Coal Mines Regulation Acts, comprises
the General Rules in Section 49 of the Coal Mines Regulation Act 1887 (as amended by
Section 5 of the Coal Mines Regulation Act 1896), the regulations as to the use of explosives
contained in the Order made by the Secretary of State under Section 6 of the Coal Mines
Regulation Act 1896 and the principal codes of Special Rules established under the Coal
Mines Regulation Acts which are in force in the various Inspection Districts. Part II, relating
to mines under the Metalliferous Mines Regulation Acts, comprises the General Rules
contained in the Act of 1872 and the principal codes of Special Rules established thereunder.
Part III contains the model code of Special Rules for quarries and indicates the variations
from the model codes which are in force in some of the Districts.”
36
Figure 6 - Extracts from Examples of Special Rules
Shropshire Clay Mines
3. The Owner, Agent or Manager shall appoint competent persons to perform the several duties prescribed
by the Act and Special Rules and shall appoint an Overman at each pit or mine under his charge, to
perform the duties hereafter prescribed; such person shall not be a contractor, not employed by a
contractor. He may from time to time revoke all or any such appointments, and shall immediately fill
up the vacancy occasioned by such revocation, or by the decease of any appointee.
6. Where pillars of clay are being removed, the Owner, Agent or Manager shall keep posted up at the
mine a notice specifying the maximum distance apart at which props or other roof supports at the
working faces are to be set, and the persons setting props or other roof supports shall see that the
maximum distance is not exceeded.
15. He shall employ no boy under 12 years of age below ground, nor any boy or girl under 13 years of age
above ground; and before employing any girl or woman on the surface, or any person under 16 years of
age either above or below ground, he shall report to the Owner, Agent or Manager that he is about to
employ such a person.
Shropshire Coal Mines
3. All persons who are casually employed underground (Masons, Enginewrights and others) shall be
amenable to the Act, and the Special Rules, and shall make themselves acquainted with the same.
7. No person shall go to sleep whilst on duty or in the mine, and where there is more than one shift, no
person having charge of men, machinery, signals or ventilating apparatus, shall leave work until
relieved, unless authorised by his superior officer.
12. No person shall ill-treat any animal which may be employed underground or in connection with any
mine.
13. No person shall come to or be at the mine in a state of intoxication. Nor shall any person take any
intoxicating drink into the pit, nor drink it upon the works, except by permission of the Manager.
21. A Certificated Manager shall, where safety lamps are used, from time to time, fix lamp stations at such
points in the mine as he shall think fit, not being in any return air-course, at which station lamps may be
lighted and re-lighted, and shall also fix a point in the mine or in the ventilating district beyond which
no light other than in a locked safety lamp shall ever be taken. All such lamp stations shall be indicated
by a board with the words “Lamp Station” legibly inscribed thereon.
Foxdale Lead Mine
6. Every working place or travelling road in every part of the mine in which persons are at work or along
which they have to pass shall be visited at least once every working day by the Owner or Agent or some
competent person appointed for the purpose, who shall satisfy himself that the place or road is in a safe
condition.
12. When rock-drills are used, the holes shall be kept wet to prevent the atmosphere being charged with
dust.
14. Shafts, winzes and underhand stopes, which have been abandoned or disused for some time, shall not
be entered until a burning light has been lowered into them and the absence of foul air ascertained.
16. No unskilled or inexperienced person shall be allowed to work alone upon any work attended with any
special risk or danger, or to charge or fire shots.
24. Unless specially permitted by the Owner or Agent, no person shall be allowed about the mine after
working hours or on Sunday.
37
Included amongst the 24 District-based Special Rules for mines under the Coal Mines Act
(which included stratified ironstone and clay) are Shropshire, Shropshire Clay Mines, North
Wales, Cannock Chase, North and South Staffordshire, Cleveland Ironstone Mines and
Ganister Mines. Special Rules for metalliferous mines include the Derbyshire Lead Mines,
Ore Mines in North Wales and Slate Mines in North Wales (there is no mention of Shropshire
Ore Mines).
The Codes for individual mines include Foxdale Lead Mine (Isle of Man), Cocklakes
Gypsum, Honister Slate and several for Cumberland Iron Ore Mines (no Shropshire mines are
included). As examples, shown in Figure 6 are the top portions of the sheets of Rules for
Shropshire Clay Mines, Shropshire Coal Mines (which includes ironstone) and the Foxdale
Lead Mine.
Enforcements
Either the Inspector (through the Secretary of State), the owners or the managers could
prosecute under the Special Rules. For example, in 1901 the Madeley Wood Company’s
management prosecuted a dan-filler under Rule 71 for “neglecting of a fireman’s orders” with
a fine of 2s 6d with 5s 6d costs. The same dan-filler was also prosecuted under Rule 77 for
not examining his work place to ensure that it continued to be safe from gas, etc. He was
acquitted but ordered to pay 3s 6d costs. At this time, very few Shropshire mines had adopted
Special Rules but in 1902 the Rules were established on a District basis.
After the district-wide adoption of Special Rules on 27th September 1902, the number of
prosecutions increased. For example, in 1904 the Inspector prosecuted the management of
the Dunge Mine (Broseley) on three counts relating to steam boilers and the Lilleshall
Company prosecuted a holer under Rule 109 for having an unlocked safety lamp in the mine.
In 1905, the Madeley Wood Company prosecuted a horse driver for abusive language under
Rule 2 and he was fined 5s 0d with 10s 0d costs. It then took 17 horse drivers to Court under
Rule 68 for “absenting themselves from work”. This was probably a strike but most were
fined 1s 9d with 6s 3d costs.
In 1907, the Inspector’s Annual Report shows that some 58 mines of coal, fireclay and
ironstone in Shropshire were operating under the 1902 Special Rules. A few small mines
were not but the criteria for their exemption was not given. No mention is made of the
Special Rules at other clay mines, eg Red Clay, and there is a blank space in the column for
showing the date of adoption of rules at each of the 12 ore mines of South West Shropshire.
An interesting situation seems to have occurred in 1912, the Inspector prosecuted the manager
of Billingsley Colliery under Rule 17 (failing to appoint competent persons - fined £10) and
the mine’s owners in turn prosecuted the night deputy under Rule 50 for “failing to examine
all places under his charge and failing to see all doors were closed and ventilation was taking
its proper course (fine and costs £1). Presumably something happened and there is a story
here! With the prosecutions that followed the adoption of Rules, there must have been some
effect on the behaviour of both Shropshire mine operators and miners and certainly the
accident statistics started to improve. It would be interesting to examine this in more detail.
The system has not been researched beyond the dates mentioned above but the Coal Mines
Act 1911, when implemented, replaced many of the provisions in General Rules using
enlarged General Regulations. It seems too that Special Rules were also overtaken by other
legislation from this time but even now managers are required to produce Rules for their mine
on special topics such as support rules, transport rules, etc.
38
References
1. The relevant Acts and Regulations as given
2. “History of Mining in the Black Country” by T E Lones, reprinted by the Dudley Herald 1898.
3. Reports of Inspectors of Mines
4. Royal Commission on Mines 1908. Evidence of W Latham, Shropshire Miners’ Agent and
Supplement.
Footnote
A copy of the Codes of Shropshire (Coal Mines and Clay Mines) will be held in the Club
library.
Figure 7 - Example of Apology Note
NOTICE
Apology
I or We, the undersigned Colliers, hereby express our regret that on
1895, I or we committed a breach of the (Special Rules established under the) Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1887,
by at Pit,
belonging to the and I or we tender our sincere apologies to the Owners or Company,
to their Officials, and to our fellow workmen for the same.
We further agree to pay the sum of shillings to the as a proof of our
penitence.
We also undertake in future to observe and to support to the best of our abilities the requirements of the Coal
Mines Regulation Act, 1887, and the Special Rules established thereunder.
Copies of this apology shall be printed and posted up at the Company’s Collieries as a warning to others that
the Act and Special Rules will be strictly enforced by the Authorities, with a view to the maintenance of proper
discipline and safety of the persons employed.
Witness our signature this day of 1895.
39
Descent of Watson’s Shaft, Tankerville Mine
Alan Robinson
On 22/1/97, the shaft was filmed by Peter Eggleston, using the MineCam, and a level had
been located very close to the blockage at the shaft “bottom”. Perhaps this blockage is resting
on a staging associated with the inset. On 29/1/97, Andy Yapp and myself were persuaded to
go and have a look.
As many Club members know, a lot of work has been carried out by Shropshire County
Council to stabilise both the shaft top and engine house base. The shaft top is grilled with a
close net grid on RSJs and a timber platform has been set about 6 metres below. John Davies
and Stuart Tomlins had already cut a section of the timber out in the corner to accommodate
the MineCam and slim cavers. It was opened out a bit more to make a very snug fit for Andy
and myself. The top grille provides a suitable belay but the gauge is too close to tie knots, so
it was necessary to have a bowline loop down to the platform level.
Once below the platform, the descent was easy and we landed on a rubble pile some 45
metres below. From here, a level went out towards Ovenpipe Shaft and an ever deepening
pool of cowsh slurry! A few metres in, a second level headed out for about 70 metres
towards what we assume to be New Shaft. There was an obvious draught towards Watson’s
Shaft which appeared to find its way over stowed backfill at the end of the level. To
minimise disturbance to the slime, Andy stepped in my footprints on the way to the far end
and we both used them to return back to dry ground. We spotted a few rusting cans, some
small calcite and limonite stalactites and two sections of a wall-mounted wooden leat.
40
Figure 8 - Sketch Plan of Watson’s Shaft, Tankerville Mine
SCMC A J Robinson
Grade 2A N.T.S
41
The Examination for Shropshire’s Potential Colliery Managers in 1901
Ivor Brown
Ever since 1872, colliery managers of every coal mine, other than the very smallest, had to
hold a “Certificate of Competence” obtained in a state organised examination. These
‘tickets’, the Certificate of Competency First Class (Colliery Managers) and from 1887
Second Class (Under Managers), were granted by the Home Office or equivalent and the
examination included a written test. The ‘tickets’ were on a par with those of a Ship’s
Captain.
The following papers (see Figures 9 & 10) were set to test potential Colliery Managers from
Shropshire in 1901. Can you do them? The writer is offering a prize of one recent “Deputy’s
Manual” to the best attempt at answering questions 1, 2 and 3 in the Arithmetic section. All
calculations are to be shown, no aids other than log-tables are to be used. The decision of the
examiner is final. Last date for entry is January 31st 1998.
In 1901 the Shropshire representatives on the Board of Examiners were N. T. Beech of the
Lilleshall Co Ltd (representing Mining Engineers) and C. Grocott of Ashley Heath, Market
Drayton (representing the miners). The local Mines Inspector W. H. Atkinson was Chairman.
No Shropshire candidate was awarded the First Class Certificate in 1901 but George Ferriday
of Oakengates got a Second Class Certificate. The career of George Ferriday has not yet been
traced but a Jason Ferriday (Certificate No.2292) was manager of the Haybridge Iron
Company’s Old Park Lawn Pit (34 employees) and the newly re-opened Spout Pit (18
employees) in 1907.
References
Reports of the Inspectors of Mines.
42
Figure 9 - Examination Paper
COAL MINES REGULATIONS ACT, 1887
___________________________
BOARD FOR EXAMINATIONS FOR THE MINING DISTRICT
OF NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE, SHROPSHIRE AND CHESHIRE
___________________________
QUESTIONS TO BE PUT TO CANDIDATES FOR THE FIRST CLASS CERTIFICATES OF
COMPETENCY TO BE PUT TO MANAGERS OF MINES, AT THE EXAMINATION TO BE HELD
ON THE 25TH AND 26TH JUNE, 1901
___________________________
10 a.m. to 1.30 pm
Preliminary
State your name, age, address and occupation, and if you hold an Ambulance Certificate.
Ventilation
1. State the rules that are applicable to the resistance of air travelling through a mine, describe and state how you
would be guided by such rules in the laying out the general ventilation of a mine.
2. The total quantity of air circulating in a mine ventilated by a fan and natural ventilation combined is 100,000
cubic feet per minute, the quantity circulating when the fan is standing is 25,000 cubic feet per minute, what quantity
would circulate if the effect of natural ventilation could be eliminated?
3. If 40,000 cubic feet of air per minute is passing through one split in a mine which is gauged by a regulator having
an opening 3ft x 6ft, what quantity will pass if the opening be increased to 4ft x 6ft?
4. Ventilate accompanying plan, marking by arrows the direction of the air currents, putting in the necessary
stoppings, doors, brattices, and lamp stations, having due regard to getting the coal from the coal faces.
Chemistry
1. What is meant by the diffusion of gases, and how is it utilized in ventilation.
2. What are the chemical causes of spontaneous combustion in a coal mine, and what are the resultant gases?
3. Describe how electricity is produced :-
1st by primary battery,
2nd by dynamo.
Geology
1. Describe the chief characteristics of the carboniferous strata and of the strata overlying and underlying it in
ordinary sequence.
2. Describe the faults usually found in coal measures, and give your opinion how they were formed.
Arithmetic
1. How many tons of water will a double-acting ram pump 10 inches in diameter, 20 inches stroke, 20 strokes per
minute discharge in a day of eight hours?
2. What quantity of fuel will be required per day, eight hours, to generate steam for an engine 20 inches cylinder ,
10 inches stroke, running 60 revolutions per minute, average steam pressure 50 lbs, allowing a consumption of 2½
lbs per horse-power per hour?
3. (1) Give the square root of 18,900
(2) Give the cube root of 29,791,000.
43
Figure 10 - Examination Paper
COAL MINES REGULATIONS ACT, 1887
___________________________
BOARD FOR EXAMINATIONS FOR THE MINING DISTRICT
OF NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE, SHROPSHIRE AND CHESHIRE
___________________________
QUESTIONS TO BE PUT TO CANDIDATES FOR THE FIRST CLASS CERTIFICATES OF
COMPETENCY TO BE PUT TO MANAGERS OF MINES, AT THE EXAMINATION TO BE HELD
ON THE 25TH AND 26TH JUNE, 1901
___________________________
2 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
Preliminary
State your name, age, address and occupation, and if you hold an Ambulance Certificate.
Mining Operations Generally
1. The following is the section of the strata where it is proposed to sink a shaft :-
Soil ................................................................ 2ft
Clay ............................................................... 4ft
Wet running sand ......................................... 6ft
Clay ............................................................... 15ft
Sandstone rock .............................................. ---
Explain with sketches how you would sink through this, the finished size of the pit to be 14ft diameter.
2. Describe the ordinary operations in sinking a 14ft shaft; what precautions would you take for the safety of the
men employed in sinking the above?
3. Describe how you would put in the following curbs :-
(1) Ordinary bricking curb
(2) Garland curb
(3) Wedging curb for tubbing.
4. Give a description, with sketches, of the method of working the seam of coal you are best acquainted with, and
the different methods of timbering you would adopt.
5. Describe how a steam engine is indicated, and what are the advantages of doing so.
6. Describe the method of bringing coal from the working face to the main level in a seam at an angle of 1 in 3.
What appliances would you adopt, and what precautions would you take to prevent accidents?
7. Give sketch as to how you would attach a wire rope to a cage, and state the principal points to be attended to to
ensure the safe working of the rope.
8. How would you commence a survey from the pit bottom where steel girders and rails are used, and what
precautions would you take to ensure accuracy?
44
Mining in Hunthouse Wood, Mamble, Worcestershire
David Poyner, Andrew Santer and Robert Evans
The parish of Mamble in Worcestershire lies on the Wyre Forest Coalfield and has seen
mining from at least the 17th Century. The largest complex of mines is located close to the
village centre, along the Marlbrook valley [1]. However, coal has been worked at other
locations in the parish including Hunthouse Wood, which lies to the south and is bordered by
the Dumbleton Brook on its east and south sides (Figures 11 & 13). The name Hunthouse
Wood is now applied collectively to a series of dense woods which clothe the steep slope of
the brook and its tributaries and today is largely owned and run as a nature reserve by the
Worcestershire Wildlife Trust. However, it has had an interesting industrial past, as will be
reviewed below.
Geology [2]
Hunthouse Wood lies on the edge of the southern basin of the Wyre Forest coalfield and coal
seams outcrop along its southern edge (see Figure 11). In this basin, known as the Mamble
Coalfield, only Upper Coal Measures (the Highley Beds) are present and lie unconformably
on the underlying Old Red Sandstone. Two important coal seams occur in Hunthouse Wood
which have been worked commecially as household coals as well as the more traditional uses
such as hop-drying and brick-making. They lie in an east-west belt of measures stretching
across the Mamble Coalfield, in which the coal seams thicken appreciably and improve in
quality. The Hunthouse Wood area also sees an improvement in floor and roof conditions in
the higher of the two seams, the Main or Five Foot, in which most of the working has taken
place. The lower seam, the Hard Mine Coal, is, as its name implies, rather hard and difficult
to work. Both coals attain a thickness of about 6ft, including bands of parting.
The main stratigraphic feature in the sequence is a band of sandstone, 100ft thick, known as
the the "Thick Sandstone". This, along with a thin band of limestone rich in the fossil
Spirobis and a band of purple and red mottled clay, the "Horseflesh Clay", provides a useful
marker in interpreting the geology of the locality. The most significant tectonic feature of
Hunthouse Wood is that it is located in a trough fault, with a throw of about 50ft. This means
that the Hard Mine coal outside of the fault is almost on the same horizon as the Main Coal
within it. This was elucidated in the Second World War by Geoffrey Bramall, managing
director of the Bayton Colliery Company, and has had considerable implications for the
history of mining.
Pre-Mining History
Hunthouse Wood formed the boundary of the Saxon manors of Sodington and 'Broc'. In the
13th Century some of the woodland was granted to one Wynwaru as part of a farm or 'wic',
hence the name Winwrick's Wood. For a period Hunthouse Farm (perhaps the manor of
Broc) may have been a hunting lodge. Subsequently the names have lost their meanings and
become transposed, leading to the presence of Winrick's Wood Colliery in Hunthouse Wood.
By the end of the Middle Ages the wood had become part of the lands of the Blount family of
Sodington and Mawley Hall and it was to remain in this family until well into this century.
Little is known of its use for much of this period. The land is wet and slopes steeply, so was
of little agricultural value. Most retained its semi-natural cover with only some coppicing
until felling took place between the wars.
45
Figure 11 - Location of Hunthouse Wood
46
Historical Evidence for Mining
The first records of mining in this part of Mamble which have so far come to light are the
notebooks of the geologist Sir Roderick Murchison, who visited the area in 1833. He noted
the presence of shallow mines at Hunthouse. In 1842 Berrows Worcester Journal reports the
death of a boy who fell down a pit shaft at Frith Common, a settlement about ½ mile west of
Hunthouse Wood [3]. It is likely that these mines were the fore-runners of the large late-19th
century complex that was known as Buckets Leasow Colliery, and which worked the coal
from the outcrop south of Hunthouse Farm almost towards the ground of the Mamble
Colliery itself. Both of these were owned by the Blount Family and were subsequently leased
to the Aston family. Buckets Leasow remained a primitive colliery with handwinding until
its closure in 1907, employing about 20 men in its latter years [4]. It is important to note that
it did not include any part of Hunthouse Wood it its workings and it is not certain whether
Murchison's colliery in 1833 was within the wood or close to the farm. Thus there is no
certain documentary evidence for pre-20th century mining in Hunthouse Wood.
Matters become much clearer with the founding of the Bayton Colliery Company, registered
in December 1914 [5]. Although this actually took over a mine in Bayton village, known as
Bayton No.l on the Sakenhurst Estate of the Guerney family, the real target was to lease the
minerals of the Mawley Estate; 1500 acres including Hunthouse Wood. The First World War
meant that this was not achieved until 1921 but almost immediately the company began to
sink a shaft just to the north of Mamble village; Bayton No. 2 or the "Eggbox Pit", so-called
because of its square-section, timber lined shaft. Unfortunately it was not a success and it
closed in 1923, shortly followed by No. 1, where reserves had been exhausted. The Bayton
Colliery Company was left without a working colliery to its name and was forced to do some
rapid prospecting. It was decided that the outcrop in Hunthouse Dingle was the best prospect
for rapid coal production and in April 1924 a pair of drifts were driven in an outcrop of the
Main Coal (Figure 12 - b). The mine exceeded expectations and so the site was developed in
a more extensive way. In 1925 a tramway was laid to the mine from the road and in 1926 a
third drift was opened further to the south in the woods (Figure 12 - b).
In 1928 the workings were so extensive from the first two drifts that it was decided to sink
shafts down to them, to improve ventillation and working efficiency. In the event, it was
necessary only to put down a single shaft and, on completion of this, a road was laid out to it,
allowing the companies own fleet of lorries direct access to the pit head and eliminating the
need for the tramway. The mine was now known as Bayton No.3 or Winwrick's Wood. At
some point a shaft was also sunk to the more southerly drift in the wood (Figure 12 - b&c).
In the early 1930s, the company's interests lay elsewhere, with a trial sinking at Stildon Manor
(Bayton No.4), the purchase of the small Hollins Colliery in Pensax and a rather unsuccessful
colliery nearer Mamble Village (New Mamble or Bayton No.5). However, No.3 remained the
mainstay of the company and in April 1936 a start was made on a fresh pair of shafts to
extend the workings further to the north. These were to be Bayton No.6, or Hunthouse
Colliery (Figure 12 - c). This went well but in August 1937 water broke through a small fault
and flooded the existing workings of No.3. Given that this was shortly to be abandoned in
favour of No.6, no attempt was made to pump the old mine dry and the miners were
transferred to New Mamble (the other mine of the company then in operation) until No.6 was
finished. This finally opened in June 1939, and the expectation was that New Mamble would
soon close. However, the Second World War intervened to make this a very protracted
process. It was not possible to secure the promised electricity supply at No. 6, leaving it short
of power. Furthermore, Government permission could not be obtained to close down New
47
Mamble,
48
Figure 12 - Development of Mining
49
even though it was making a loss. The power shortage was eventually solved by the purchase
of two gas engines. These drove the compressors to supply the compressed air picks used at
the face. However, the Ministry of Fuel and Power still refused permission to close New
Mamble until the company agreed to reopen the drifts to provide work for those men too old
to cope with No.6. Thus in 1944 one drift was driven parallel to those of 1924 and another
closer to that of 1926, to clean out the coal that had previously been left. A lorry road was
also put down to these.
At the time of sinking of the 1944 drifts, Geoffrey Bramall of the Bayton Colliery Company
became convinced that the best coal lay to their north-east. A detailed survey of the geology
of the brook valley suggested the presence of the trough fault and he proved this by driving a
trial level at 45º from the mouth of one of the 1924 workings (Figure 12 - d7). This, starting
out in the Main Coal, passed through the fault into the Hard Mine, proving Bramall's
conjecture. Bramall then turned to the area east of the trough fault and explored the outcrop
of the Main Coal with a series of triaIs [6]. Arising out these, a production drift was started
in November 1946, following the draining of a bog which lay in its path. The first entrance to
this mine was on the outcrop, close to the brook (Figure 12 - d8) and was served by a
tramway. This was subsequently used for drainage, with a cross-measure drift being driven to
the surface further to the west (Figure 12 - d8a) to meet up with a surface road for lorry access
(Figure 12 - d). Subsequently a shaft was sunk into its workings (Figure 12 - d9), presumably
to aid ventilation. Sometime between 1947 and 1950 a further production drift, No.9 Drift
(not to be confused with No.9 Shaft), was opened alongside the brook, midway between the
1924 and 1946 drifts (Figure 12 - d9). This worked the Main coal previously proved by one
of the trials referrred to above.
After the war, electricity finally arrived in November 1945, although an electric winding
engine was not installed until some years later. The coal industry was nationalised in August
1947 but at first the Bayton Colliery Company retained its independence, working as a small
mine under a series of temporary licenses from the National Coal Board. However,
operations at Bayton were too large for the company to escape the NCB's clutches and, after
an uncomfortable 18 month relationship, the Bayton Colliery Company abandoned the
struggle and made the mine over to the NCB. They continued to operate a brickworks and
coal haulage business until the 1960s. The NCB seem to have made a sorry mess of running
the pit and closed it in February 1950. As a small and isolated mine, it stood little chance of
survival in the new order.
Although the NCB had no interest in working the Worcestershire half of the Wyre Forest
Coalfield, others were not so easily discouraged. The Mole family of Clows Top had worked
at the local collieries since the previous century and had made several attempts in the inter-
war period to open mines in the area. With the withdrawal of both the Bayton Colliery
Company and the NCB, they took their chance and obtained a license to work the coal in the
vicinity of No. 8 drift as a small mine (Figure 12 -e). Rather than re-use the drifts, they sank
two new shafts, (officially Bayton Nos.10 and 11, following on from the nomenclature of the
Bayton Colliery Company), although the mine was always known as Hunthouse. Production
began in 1954, using a mixture of largely second-hand plant driven by compressed air or
electricity. As a licensed mine, usually 30 men were employed underground. In 1963 an
additional shaft (No.12) was sunk and fitted with a pump to improve drainage. The mine
closed in 1972, nominally because of flooding. Attempts to re-open it as a going concern
came to nothing, although the site was not cleared until 1979.
50
Surface Remains
As noted above, documentary evidence for pre-1924 working is insubstantial and
inconclusive. However, there is clear archaeological evidence for earlier mining. Along most
of the outcrop are traces of coal digging, with signs of spoil tips and drift mines in several
places (Figure 13 - 1-3). Old workings were discovered when No.8 drift was being opened
out in 1946, where the coal had been taken from the upper part of the Main Coal seam. In the
east of the site, the workings seem fairly haphazard (Figure 13 - 3), but in the west they seem
to have been laid out to a plan. Along the valley-side are two parallel lines of shafts, each on
its own terrace, which also carry access tracks. The shafts are laid out at approximately 50
yard intervals (Figure 13 - 1). Exact details are difficult to recover, as the area has been
affected by ground slippage and was of course partly re-worked in the 1920s. However, there
are perhaps up to 5 or 6 shafts in each row. On the level ground by the side of the brook there
are substantial spoil mounds, perhaps arising from the shafts (Figure 13 - 2).
The area of the 1924 drifts is well preserved at the eastern end (Figure 13 - 4). There are the
foundations of the haulage engine, still with holding down bolts, and the office. The mouth
of No.2 drift is discernible, and No.7 cross-measure drift put down in 1944 can be followed
for some distance to where it has collapsed. When the drifts finally closed here the mouths
were sealed by bulldozing and so the western end of the site is harder to interpret. A number
of artefacts remain, including a vertical boiler and the base of a wooden tub in the brook, a
steel arch, a wheel set, and numerous lengths of rail. The tramway incline that served the
1924 mines is well preserved for most of its length and at the top of the bank there are brick
foundations of unknown function; perhaps part of a brake-drum assembly or a creeper (Figure
13 - 5). Further along is a bank made up of the bodies of steel tubs, now badly corroded
(Figure 13 - 6). These are perhaps more likely to date from the 1940s.
At the site of the shaft of No.3, there is no sign of the shaft itself (Figure 13 - 7). At some
point, the stream which ran alongside the pithead has been culverted and perhaps at this point
the site was tided up. However, the site remains as an obvious platform, with large mounds
of burnt ash. There are signs that this has been quarried for hardcore at some time. There are
a quantity of concrete arches on the site, that are probably left over from culverting the
stream, and also two much rusted A-frames of unknown provenance. The lorry road down to
this site is obvious (Figure 13 - 8), as is its continuation to the 1924/44 drifts (Figure 13 - 9).
The lowest section of this is distorted by land slippage and the main track now curves away to
the east, cutting through the line of the 1925 incline.
At the site of Hunthouse No.6, there is a prominent spoil tip and, adjacent to it, the
foundations of the land sale screens (Figure 13 - 10). The shafts have been capped and most
of the site built over. However, nearest to the lane which originally served as the tramway
and then road to the earlier mines are the brick-built compressor and gas engine house and the
stables. These have survived by being converted into a house and garage. The roofs have
been raised but the original walls are quite distinct. Further along the track, buried in conifers
which screen the saw-mill, is a horizontal boiler almost completely sunk in the ground. At
the site of No.8 drift, the incline of c.1946 is well preserved for most of its length (Figure 13 -
11). It is associated with several large lengths of approx. 9" flanged pipes and rail sections.
At its base, the first drift entrance is obvious as a line of subsidence. Just off this is a (filled)
brick-lined shaft, shown on all plans of the workings, perhaps put down either for exploratory
purposes or to aid ventilation (Figure 13 - 12). The later entrance to the drift is marked by
51
Figure 13 - Surface Features
52
two low brick retaining wall and a short length of subsidence (Figure 13 - 13). The access
road is largely visible, but seems to have been washed away by a stream close to the drift
mouth (Figure 13 - 14).
Further north in the wood is the site of No.9 shaft, sunk to ventilate the workings (Figure 13 -
15). This is now marked by a flooded hollow but lying besides it are the remains of a hand
windlass. This consists of an iron roll supported on two wooden frames, and was formerly
encased in a sheet-iron hut. This was apparently purchased secondhand and never used. The
site of the Mole Brothers' Hunthouse Colliery was completely cleared, except for No.12 shaft
set in the wood (Figure 13 - 16). The Pulsometer Pump was left in situ and the flooded shaft
used as an emergency source of water for the sawmill which replaced the mine. A steel
gantry stands over the shaft, carrying an electric motor which was used to move the pump up
and down. The gantry itself may have been purchased second-hand from the Rockmoor Coal
gassification experimental site, set up in 1951 [7]. Close by is a sinking kibble. Hunthouse
Colliery was salvaged by Bewdley Museum before its demolition, and this now has a number
of artefacts in store, including a cage and tub.
There is an enigmatic collection of remains close to the entrance to the nature reserve, in the
north of the site. These essentially consist of a number of deeply worn holloways leading
south-east down the hillside to Dumbleton brook (Figure 13 - 18). They may well have been
formed over a considerable period as part of a route through the wood to Pensax and perhaps
also for timber hauling purposes. Some are overlain by the 1946 incline to No.8 drift.
However, one cuts through this, showing the route was re-established post-1947. At the top
of the bank is a brick and concrete foundation of some kind of building of unknown function
(Figure 13 - 17). Next to this are a compressed air receiver and a water-tube vertical boiler.
These can be identified on a 1946 inventory of Hunthouse No.6 colliery [8]. A little further
north are another series of holloways leading down the hill, their lower ends now obscured by
land slips. In one of these are the remains of pipes and rails suggesting it had been associated
with coal mining. Detailed records of the activities of the Bayton Colliery Company survive
but less is known of the NCB period or the early days of the Mole Brothers' operations. It is
possible that the tracks may have been pressed into service during these times, perhaps as
access to No.9 or other drifts. The remains of No.9 drift have not yet been positively
identified but, together with the associated trial drifts, they are probably at the northern edge
of earlier outcrop working close to 3 in Figure 13.
Conclusions
Hunthouse Wood has had a long history, being exploited both for its timber and coal. Plans
to extend the workings into areas yet untouched came to nothing in post-war years and much
coal remains. An attempt to resume mining in 1990 failed in the face of local (commuter)
opposition and County Council policy.
There are good remains surviving from all periods of mining history. The coal mines are well
documented during the interwar period but much less is known about activities outside this
period. Further study of the physical remains may help to shed light on this. Although
Hunthouse Wood Nature Reserve is open to access at all times please note that many of the
remains of Hunthouse Colliery (Nos.8-12) lie on private land and the goodwill of the
landowner depends on the respect of his privacy.
53
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, Mr M.Harding of M & M Timber
and Johnson, Poole and Bloomer.
References
1) D Poyner & R Evans, "Mamble Colliery", SCMC Journal No.4, 1997, pp.34-8.
2) See 1":l mile Geological survey map, sheet 182, and accompanying memoirs, "The Geology of the
Country around Droitwich, Abberley and Kidderminster", G H Mitchell, P W Pocock & J HTaylor,
1961, HMSO.
3) Notebook of R I Murchison, Geological Society Archives, M/N67; Berrows Worcester Journal, March
31st 1842.
4) See various years of Mineral Statistics, edited R. Hunt/ Home Office, British Parliamentary Papers,
1856-1948. Buckets Leasow Colliery is shown on the 1883 and 1902 25":l mile Ordnance Survey
plans.
5) Most of the following information is taken from papers ex-Mr Geoffrey Bramall, held by R Evans. See
also the valuation and inventory files on the Bayton Colliery Company held at the Public Record Office
(PRO) (COAL34/59 and 38/62).
6) Bramall refers to three exploratory drifts (a [Key's drift], b and c), and a trial shaft (Powell's Pit). Of
these, (a) may be No.7 drift; (b) and (c) were close to No.9 drift into the Main and Hard Mine coals
respectively. The mouth of Powell's pit (21ft to the Main Coal) was at 406ft, which corresponds to a
spot height on one of Bramall's maps (a little south-west of the mouth of No. 8 drift), giving a clue as to
its possible site.
7) PRO COAL 30/36, Coal gassification at Rockmoor.
8) PRO COAL 38/62.
54
More Mining Remains in Ireland
Nick Southwick & Mike Moore
Glengowla Mine (Map 45 - 425086)
The Geoghan family owns this site and to gain access an appointment is necessary, as they are
trying to turn the site into a show mine. The mine is currently being pumped out, it is
understood that the mine was abandoned by the workers and was allowed to fill with water.
As a result, a number of interesting artefacts have been found including, kibbles, tools,
windlasses and an interesting haulage shoot and pumping system. There are also a number of
museum specimens of calcite and green fluorspar. The mine was worked during the mid
1800s and records show that it was worked for lead, zinc, barytes and iron pyrites.
There are few remaining surface features apart from a leat, which runs for about 1½ miles.
There is the suggestion of a waterwheel pit, a building that could have been a powder house
and another which may have been a Blacksmiths Shop. The Geoghans are trying to put things
on site and are currently building a horse gin and are making the shaft tops safe.
39.25 tons of lead with 3.57oz per ton were extracted.
Clements Mine (Map 38 - 526990)
This was originally worked in the 1800s, for which there are few records, and later re-worked
in 1908. On the site, however, the surface remains provide visible signs of different
workings.
The processing mill, which is large and impressive, is quite prominent and overlooks Lough
Corrib. It is in a fine condition and is well worth preserving. It seems likely that it was
powered by a pelton wheel arrangement as there is evidence of a leat going from the stream
which would have worked the wheel and driven the crushers. Above this is an incline plane,
with a partly intact brake drum housing at the top. Another incline continues down past the
mill to the remains of a wooden pier on the Lough.
At the top of the first spoil tip, and cutting across the stream, an open adit is found (see Figure
xxx). This is about 2 metres wide and appears quite modern, running straight in for about
200 metres. At ths point, a branch passage to the right runs about 350 metres and has a small
cross cut with a possible rise which was not climbed due to loose rock.
The tip higher up comes from the open cut stopes to the right of the stream. A small adit
below the cut is blind after 20metres and care should be taken crossing a sump in the passage.
On the opposite side, another short level has been driven and there is also a collapsed adit a
little further up the hill. The tip here is quite surprising and a large amount of unprocessed
galena can be found. This probably dates from a more modern time because the tip material
had been dumped across the original incline. There is also a report about a boat full of ore,
which sank in Lough Corrib on route to Galway and is still thought to be there.
55
Figure 14 - Underground Workings at Clements Mine
56
The Glan Mines (Map 45 - 481055)
The whole of this area is rich in small mineral veins but, due to the terrain and vegetation,
they are very difficult to locate. The largest of these is Currughduff Mine, which was worked
in the 1860s, producing copper, nickel, lead and iron pyrites (output unknown). The whole
area abounds with trial pits and adits but these are mostly collapsed or small trials. There is a
well-defined tramway that seems to service all of the area.
To find further information and locations you are advised to contact the Geoghans in
Oughterard.
Sheefrey Mine (690910)
Very little is recorded of this mine but it is known to have been worked before 1800 for
copper pyrites and galena which contained a large percentage of silver.
The site is easily found just off the “Western Way” long distance footpath. From information
provided prior to the visit it was thought further workings would be found further up the
valley but after an extensive search the only remains are two collapsed levels, a small amount
of tip material and remains of a small building, suggesting that the workings are not large.
57
Membership List (as at November 1997) HONORARY MEMBERS
David Adams 2 Princess Gardens, Newport, Shropshire TF10 7ET T. 01952-810681
Malcolm Newton Shrewsbury Girls High School, 32 Town Walls, Shrewsbury SY1 1TR T. 01743-244648
Alan Taylor 57 Oaken Lanes, Codsall, Wolverhampton WV8 2AW T. 01902-843031
LIFE MEMBERS
David Coxill 15 Limekiln Lane, Lilleshall, Newport, Shropshire TF10 9EY
FULL MEMBERS
Cara Allison 2 Windyatt Square, Totnes, Devon TQ9 5WH T. 01803-866871
Phil Amies Ty-Hen, Beddgellert, Gwynedd LL55 4NE T. 01766-890595
Richard Amies (as for Phil Amies)
John Amos Birchwood, Red Lees, Ketley, Telford TF1 4DE T. 01952-260475
Colin Armfield Old Chapel, The Bank, Pontesbury Hill, Pontesbury, Shropshire SY5 0XX T. 01743-791955
Liz Armfield (as for Colin Armfield)
John Blair Stone House, Marche Lane, Halfway House, Shrewsbury SY5 9DD T. 01743-884278
Tim Booth 18 Hawne Close, Halesowen, West Midlands B63 3QQ T. 01384-560258
Shean Bostock 23 Albert Rd, Wellington, Telford TF1 3AR T. 01952-255645
Eileen Bowen 27 Royal Oak Drive, Leegomery, Telford TF1 4SS T. 01952-252284
Ivor Brown 95 Manygates Lane, Sandal, Wakefield, W.Yorks WF2 7DL T. 01924-257137
Sue Brueton (as for Steve Southwick)
Mike Clough 97 Canon St, Shrewsbury SY2 5HF T. 01743-366618
Eric Cotterill 9 Buckingham Rd, Poynton, Cheshire SK12 1JH T. 01625-877998
Mike Cousins Bryn Derwen, Capel Curig, Gwynedd LL24 0EL T. 01690-720312
Andy Cuckson 29 Gwillim Close, Blackfen, Sidcup, Kent DA15 9NQ T. 0181-304-3509
Nicola Danbury 42 Cote Rd, Shawbirch, Telford TF5 0NQ T. 01952-274878
Ian Davies 18 Priory Drive, Longden Rd, Shrewsbury SY3 9EF T. 01743-452584
John Davies 45 Stoneleigh Rd, Handsworth, Birmingham B20 3AP T. 0121-686-2609
Les Davies 12 Ferndale Rd, Sundorne, Shrewsbury T. 01743-369525
Pete Eggleston 4 Bushfield Rd, Albrighton, Wolverhampton T. 01902-374509
Mac Elston 4 Boulton Close, Burntwood, Staffs WS7 9LD T. 01543-684985
Pete Etchells 19 Camborne Court, Camborne Rd, Walsall WS5 3JE T. 01922-640519
Roger Evans 3 Stratford Park, Trench, Telford TF2 7DR T. 01952-676933
Maurice Febry 18 Okus Rd, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, Glos GL53 8DU T. 01242-242160
Roy Fellows Greengables, Stafford Rd, Great Wyrley, Walsall WS6 6AX T. 01922-406713
Adrian Foster 144 Longden Rd, Shrewsbury SY3 7HT T. 01743-249642
Richard Fowler Casaliss, 16 Blandon Way, Whitchurch, Cardiff CF4 1EH T. 01222-692539
James Goddard 4 Gravels Bank, Minsterley, Shropshire SY5 0HG T. 01743-891868
Roger Gosling 51 Greenhill Rd, Alveston, Bristol BS12 2NA T. 01454-883607
John Hainsworth Tanmarian, Llangynog, Nr Oswestry, Shropshire SY10 0HA T. 01691-860549
Andy Harris Moldy Warp, 72 Prospect Rd, Market Drayton, Shropshire TF9 3BJ T. 01630-653531
Colin Hayton 3 Porthill Gardens, Shrewsbury SY3 8SH T. 01743-366418
Marian Higgins Walford Smallholding, Walford, Baschurch, Shropshire SY4 2HL T. 01939-260225
Gordon Hillier The Smithy, Maesbrook, Oswestry, Shropshire SY10 8QW T. 01691-682484
Steve Holding 55 Briarwood, Brookside, Telford TF3 1TR T. 01952-417483
Ken Jones 2 Clee Rise, Little Wenlock, Telford TF6 5BU T. 01952-505286
Pete Jones Red Ridge Centre, Cefn Coch, Welshpool, Powys SY21 0AZ T. 01938-810821
Kelvin Lake 22 Chapmans Close, Aqueduct, Telford TF3 1ED T. 01952-592640
Richard Lamb Swan House, Livesey Rd, Ludlow, Shropshire SY8 1EY T. 01584-873263
Chris Lane Slack Cottage, High Wray, Ambleside, Cumbria LA22 0JQ
John Martin 37 Chepstow Drive, Leegomery, Telford TF1 4HP T. 01952-410316
Neal Mason 15 Langford Ave, Bayston Hill, Shrewsbury SY3 0JU T. 01743-873654
Damien McCurdy Denefield, 111 Barn Lane, Golborne, Warrington WA3 3PR
Catherine Mills 38 First Ave, Selly Park, Birmingham B29 7NS T. 0121-471-2233
Mike Moore 35 Masons Place, Newport, Shropshire TF10 7JS T. 01952-405105
Alan Moseley 27 Benthall Lane, Broseley, Telford TF12 5CN T. 01952-882379
Lindsey Newton (as for Malcolm Newton)
Sheila Newton (as for Malcolm Newton)
Teresa Oakley (as for John Skipper)
Pete Owen 3 Cedar Close, Bayston Hill, Shrewsbury SY3 0PD T. 01743-873369
Adrian Pearce 72 Hopkins Heath, Shawbirch, Telford TF5 0LZ T. 01952-405369
58
Julie Pearce (as for Adrian Pearce)
Steve Peters (as for Catherine Mills)
Steve Powell 11 Atlas Croft, Bushbury, Wolverhampton WV10 6LA T. 01902-28530
David Poyner 136 Hoo Rd, Kidderminster, Worcs DY10 1LP T. 01562-68638
John Priest 9 Glendon Close, Market Drayton, Shropshire TF9 1NX T. 01630-657718
Alan Robinson Two Hoots, 19 Quarry Rd, Broseley Wood, Shropshire TF12 5QD T. 01952-883492
Vicky Robinson (as for Alan Robinson)
Steve Rodenhurst c/o Hordley Hall, Hordley, Ellesmere, Shropshire T. 01691-622772
Neal Rushton Granville Grange, 33 Glade Way, Shawbirch, Telford TF5 0LD T. 01952-240765
Andrew Santer 49 Willow Close, West Hagley, Stourbridge, West Midlands DY9 0LU T. 01562-885225
Peter Scales Old Well House, Church St, Prees, Whitchurch, Shropshire SY13 2DQ T. 01948-841263
Ben Shaw 88 Underdale Rd, Shrewsbury SY2 5EE T. 01743-356697
John Skipper 15 Elm Ave, Lutterworth, Leicestershire LE17 4SU
David Southwick (as for Steve Southwick)
Nick Southwick 2 Prospect Cottages, Snailbeach, Minsterley, Shropshire SY5 0LR T. 01743-790189
Rob Southwick 17 Winchester Rd, Perry Barr, Birmingham B20 3AL T. 0121-356-1332
Steve Southwick 107 Old Hills, Callow End, Worcester WR2 4TQ T. 01905-830210
Roy Starkey 15 Warwick Ave, Bromsgove, Worcs B60 2AH T. 01527-874101
Martin Stoakes Gorsty Hill Farm, Kimbolton, Leominster, Herefordshire HR6 0EP T. 01568-613071
Pete Summerfield 19 Belmont Close, Churchbridge, Cannock, Staffs WS11 3SS T. 01922-418431
Bob Taylor 4 Whitefield Close, Bilbrook, Wolverhampton WV8 1NA T. 01902-846050
John Tennent Tennents Trains, Shop 1, 130 Hagley Rd, Hayley Green, Halesowen, W Midlands B63 1DY
Paul Thorne 3 Cross Rd, Dartford, Kent DA1 3ET T. 01322-220388
Edwin Thorpe 22 Castle Court, Wem, Shropshire SY4 5JS T. 01939-234827
Brian Tildesley Penarth, 23 Shrewsbury Rd, Edgmond, Newport, Shropshire TF10 8HU T. 01952-810896
Stuart Tomlins Waterside, Station Lane, Halfway House, Shrewsbury SY5 9DB T. 01743-884433
Francis Turner Elm Cottage, Blymhill, Shifnal, Shropshire TF11 8LL T. 01952-850411
Stuart Walker 24 Silver Mere Park, Shifnal, Shropshire TF11 9BN T. 01952-460307
Tom West 122 Monkmoor Rd, Shrewsbury SY2 5BN T. 01743-356632
Jon Williams Radnor Villa, 101 Bransford Rd, St Johns, Worcs WR2 4ET T. 01905-429293
Lyn Williams (as for Jon Williams)
Mike Worsfold 3 Hill View, Maesbury Marsh, Oswestry, Shropshire SY10 8JF T. (Mobile) 0589-758597
Andy Yapp Hillocks Cottage, Farm Lane, Snailbeach, Minsterley, Shropshire T. 01743-791775
Kim Yapp (as for Andy Yapp)
JUNIOR MEMBERS
Gemma Cashion (as for Jon Williams)
Gareth Owen (as for Pete Owen)
Gemma Moseley (as for Alan Moseley)
Jennie Moseley (as for Alan Moseley)
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
Dave Allen 3 Coombe Way, Bishopsteignton, Teignmouth, Devon TQ14 9QB T. 01626-777221
Rod Anderson 48 Roslyn Rd, Tottenham, London N15 5ET T. 0181-800-9542
Adrian Barrell Cartref, Dousland, Yelverton, Devon PL20 6PA T. 01822-852612
Roger Brown The Bell House, Alveley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire
Nigel Burns 72 Winchester Rd, Brislington, Bristol BS4 3NH
David Cranstone 267 Kells Lane, Low Fell, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear NE4 5HV T. 0191-491-4331
Terry Davies 23 Heath Terrace, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV32 5NA T. 01926-421669
Clive Dean 10 Longner St, Mountfields, Shrewsbury SY3 8QS T. 01743-232268
Steve Dewhirst 9 Maypole Rd, Broseley Wood, Telford TF12 5QH
Robert Evans 48 Dunley Rd, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcs DY13 0AX T. 01299-825385
Ian Forrest Pershteen, The Drive, Longfield, Kent DA3 7LX
Steve Grudgings 31 Laverstoke Lane, Laverstoke, Whitchurch, Hants RG28 7NX T. 01256-896715
George Hall 17a Bridge St, Kington, Herefordshire HR5 3DL T. 01544-231006
Richard Haszard 86 Main Rd, Milford, Stafford ST17 0UW
John Heathcote Burrabank, Lower Rd, Harmer Hill, Shrewsbury SY4 3QX T. 01939-290247
George Jasieniecki 6 Redcliffe St, West Brompton, London SW10 9DS T. 0171-370-6687
Barry Job School of Sciences, Staffordshire University, College Rd, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2DE
Brian Jones 2 Badenhall Cottage, Badnall, Eccleshall, Stafford ST21 6LG T. 01785-850935
Tony King 6 Rectory Close, Clifton, Bedfordshire SG17 5EL T. 01462-814390
59
Colin Lansdell 10 Lorraine Gardens, Norwich, Norfolk NR3 4DH T. 01603-404833
Colin Lears 2 Spring Village, Horsehay, Telford TF4 2LY
Ken Lock 5 Copthorne Crest, Shrewsbury T. 01743-352656
Madeline Lucas 2 Mine Cottages, Mine Bank, Clive, Shrewsbury SY4 3JW T. 01939-220511
Michael Munro 64 Bron Avelon, Garden Suburb, Barry, South Glamorgan CF62 6PS T. 01446-748690
Natural History Museum Acquisitions Section, Dept of Library Services, Cromwell Rd, London SW7 5BD
Keith Oak 1 Toga Close, Colchester, Essex CO2 9JJ
Jonathon Parry Hazel Cottage, Squirrel Lane, Lower Ledwyche, Ludlow SY8 4JX
Alan Rhodes 27 Lombardy Close, Leverstock Green, Hemel Hempstead HP2 4NE
Alan Richardson 87 Hacking Drive, Longridge, Preston PR3 3EP
Royal Commission on Ancient & Historical Monuments in Wales
c/o Sian Spink, Crown Building, Plas Crug, Aberystwyth, Dyfed SY23 2HP
Michael Shaw 88 Underdale Rd, Shrewsbury SY2 5EE T. 01743-356697
Dave Stephenson 102 West Bromwich Rd, Walsall, West Midlands WS1 3HW T. 01922-640248
Mike Summerfield 54 New St, Chase Terrace, Staffs
Mrs C Taylor Fairground, Lavant, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0BQ
Geoff Warrington 3 Lamcote Gardens, Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottingham NG12 2BS
Nils Wilkes Crifty Croft, Boon St, Eckington, Pershore, Worcs WR10 3BL T. 01386-750769
Lyn Willies 174 Dale Rd, Matlock Bath, Derbyshire DE4 3PS T. 01629-584322